1748 Silver Medal Betts-384, Indes Occidentales Paris Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,525 AU55 11-02-2016 Stack's Bowers

Description

This silver medal, Betts-384, commemorates the Indes Occidentales (West Indies) and is identified as a Paris restrike. The medal relates to French colonial activities in the Caribbean West Indies during the 1740s, when France's sugar-producing islands were among the most valuable colonial possessions in the world. The Indes Occidentales designation encompasses France's Caribbean territories including Saint-Domingue (Haiti), Martinique, Guadeloupe, and smaller islands. 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. This Paris Mint restrike preserves the design of the original medal for collectors, documenting French colonial presence in the Caribbean during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748).

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Paris Mint restrike of a French West Indies medal.

Cross References

Betts-384