1737 Silver Medal Betts-170

Coin Details

Auction Record

$8,400 AU55 08-23-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1737 silver medal (Betts-170) dates from the period between the major colonial wars, when European powers were consolidating their American territories and preparing for the conflicts that would determine the continent's political future. The Betts catalog entry at number 170 falls within the sequence covering the 1730s, a decade that saw continued French exploration of the Mississippi Valley, British expansion along the Atlantic seaboard, and Spanish consolidation of Florida and the Southwest. Medals from this transitional period are less common than those commemorating specific military events, as fewer dramatic occasions prompted medallic commemoration. The survival rate of colonial-era medals varies dramatically by material and original production quantity, with gold presentations being the rarest and bronze issues struck in larger quantities being relatively more available to collectors. The silver composition and 1737 date place this among the scarcer entries in the middle portion of the Betts catalog.

Rarity Notes

Original 1737 silver. Interwar colonial period. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-170; 1737 colonial period medal