(1683) Silver Medal Betts-64, Dutch West India Company

Coin Details

Auction Record

$7,050 MS62 11-02-2016 Stack's Bowers

Description

This silver medal, Betts-64, commemorates the Dutch West India Company around 1683. The Company, founded in 1621, was the commercial and military instrument of Dutch colonization in the Americas, operating colonies, trading posts, and military forces throughout the Western Hemisphere. By 1683, the Company was past its peak following the loss of New Netherland to England in 1664, but it still maintained significant operations in the Caribbean, Guiana, and West Africa. This silver medal documents the Company's continuing role in Dutch colonial affairs and serves as a tangible connection to one of the most important institutions in American colonial history, responsible for founding New Amsterdam and establishing Dutch presence across the Americas. 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.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Dutch West India Company medals are highly prized by colonial collectors.

Cross References

Betts-64