1701 Cast Silver Medal Betts-91, Proclamation in Vera Cruz

Coin Details

Description

This 1701 silver medal, Betts-91, commemorates a proclamation in Vera Cruz, cast in silver. Vera Cruz was one of the most important ports in New Spain (Mexico), serving as the primary point of contact between Spain's American empire and the mother country. Proclamation medals were issued to mark royal accessions and other important official events, distributed during public ceremonies in colonial cities. The cast silver production method, as opposed to striking, gives this medal distinctive characteristics. The iconographic vocabulary of colonial medals drew heavily on classical mythology and allegory, with figures representing continents, rivers, virtues, and vices arranged in compositions that conveyed complex political messages. The 1701 date places this medal at the very beginning of the War of Spanish Succession, when Spanish colonial authorities were proclaiming their loyalty to the new Bourbon dynasty under Philip V.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Cast silver proclamation medals from Vera Cruz are exceptionally scarce.

Cross References

Betts-91