1637 Cast Brass Medal Betts-37, Fort Larrayal Captured

Coin Details

Description

This 1637 cast brass medal, Betts-37, commemorates the capture of Fort Larrayal (Fort La Real) during the ongoing Dutch-Spanish conflict in the Americas. The mid-1630s saw continued Dutch military operations in the Caribbean and along South American coasts as the Dutch West India Company expanded its territorial holdings and disrupted Spanish trade routes. Cast brass medals of this type were produced using a different process than struck medals, resulting in distinctive surface characteristics and often more detailed relief. Colonial medals served multiple functions simultaneously: as propaganda tools promoting imperial policy, as diplomatic gifts establishing relationships with indigenous peoples and rival powers, and as commemorative art preserving historical memory. The capture of fortified positions was a regular feature of colonial warfare as European powers competed for control of strategic harbors and trade routes throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Cast brass medals from the 1630s with American subjects are exceptionally scarce.

Cross References

Betts-37