1741 Brass Medal Betts-335, Admiral Vernon

Coin Details

Description

This 1741 brass medal (Betts-335) is a later Admiral Vernon piece, produced two years after the initial Porto Bello triumph. By 1741, Vernon's fame had been somewhat tarnished by the disastrous British defeat at the Battle of Cartagena de Indias (March-May 1741), where a massive Anglo-American amphibious force failed to capture the Spanish colonial stronghold in modern Colombia. Despite this setback, Vernon remained popular enough to sustain continued medal production. The brass composition and Betts-335 catalog number place this among the later entries in the Vernon series, which spans from Betts-200 through the 300s. 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 1741 date makes this a transitional piece, produced when Vernon's reputation was shifting from triumphant hero to a more complex legacy.

Rarity Notes

Original 1741 brass. Later Admiral Vernon medal. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-335; Admiral Vernon; brass; post-Porto Bello period 1741