(1658) Bronze Medal Betts-39, Plain Edge, Dampville

Coin Details

Auction Record

$60 VF20 05-15-2018 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-39 commemorates the Duc de Dampville's role in French colonial affairs during the mid-seventeenth century. This pewter edition (PE) strikes the design in a softer alloy than the standard bronze or silver versions, giving the medal a distinctive grayish appearance and lower relief. The obverse features a portrait of Dampville, while the reverse bears allegorical imagery relating to French ambitions in the New World. Pewter editions of colonial medals were typically produced as less expensive alternatives to precious metal strikings, intended for broader distribution among officials and supporters of colonial ventures. The quoted date "1658" indicates this piece reproduces a design from that year but was struck at a later period, in the nineteenth century as collector interest in early American medals grew. Betts-39 is among the earlier entries in the Betts catalog and documents French colonial engagement during a period when France, England, and the Netherlands competed aggressively for territory and trade routes in the Americas.

Rarity Notes

Pewter edition, scarce. Softer metal means fewer survivors in good condition. Later restrike but collected as a Betts type.

Cross References

Betts-39; PCGS #954361