1674 Bronze Medal Betts-48, Martinique

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,465 MS64BN 06-21-2018 eBay

Description

This 1674 bronze medal, Betts-48, commemorates events at Martinique during the Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678). Martinique was one of France's most valuable Caribbean colonies, a major sugar-producing island that generated enormous wealth for French planters and the crown. In 1674, a Dutch naval force under Admiral Michiel de Ruyter attacked French Caribbean possessions including Martinique as part of the broader European conflict. The French garrison successfully defended the island, maintaining French control of this strategically important colony. The quality of die engraving on the finest Betts medals rivals the best European artistic production of their respective periods, with master medalists achieving remarkable detail in portraits, landscapes, and battle scenes. The medal documents the extension of European wars into the Caribbean theater, where colonial possessions were both prizes of war and strategic assets that could determine the outcome of conflicts.

Rarity Notes

Rare. French Caribbean defense medals from the 1670s are scarce.

Cross References

Betts-48