(1741) Medal Betts-331, Admiral Vernon

Coin Details

Auction Record

$517 AU53 11-02-2016 Stack's Bowers

Description

This brass medal, Betts-331, is an Admiral Vernon variety. The Admiral Vernon medal series reached well into the Betts-330s, demonstrating the extraordinary duration and scale of the commemorative medal industry that Vernon's victories spawned. These later varieties may depict events from the latter phase of the Caribbean campaign or represent continued popular demand for Vernon memorabilia even as the war progressed. The longevity of the Vernon medal phenomenon reflects Vernon's status as a genuine popular hero, one of the first military figures to achieve celebrity status in the modern sense through mass-produced commercial products bearing his image and celebrating his achievements. 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.

Rarity Notes

Common to scarce. Later Vernon variety.

Cross References

Betts-331