1711 Silver Medal Betts-108, American Aloe Plant

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,760 AU55 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1711 silver medal, Betts-108, commemorates the American Aloe Plant, an allegorical reference to colonial affairs during Queen Anne's War (1702-1713). The aloe or century plant, bloom only once per century, was used symbolically in early eighteenth-century art to represent rare or momentous events. The medal connects to the ongoing War of the Spanish Succession in the Americas, where English and French colonial forces continued their struggle for territorial dominance. 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. Silver medals from this period document events that shaped the eventual Treaty of Utrecht (1713), which would significantly redraw the colonial map of North America.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Allegorical medals from Queen Anne War period are scarce.

Cross References

Betts-108