(1758) Bronze Medal Betts-416, British Victories

Coin Details

Auction Record

$840 AU58 08-24-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-416 in bronze is a British Victories medal from 1758, celebrating the string of military successes that turned the tide of the Seven Years' War in Britain's favor. The year 1758, known as the annus mirabilis (miraculous year) of British arms, saw victories at Louisbourg, Fort Frontenac, and Fort Duquesne (later Pittsburgh) that broke French power in North America. Betts-416 commemorates these multiple triumphs in a single design, featuring allegorical victory imagery or a catalog of conquered positions. The British Victories medals differ from the site-specific medals (like the Louisbourg series) by celebrating the overall campaign rather than individual engagements. This medal format was Eimer-662, connecting it to the British historical medal tradition. The 1758 campaign season demonstrated the effectiveness of William Pitt's strategy of combining overwhelming naval power with coordinated colonial military operations.

Rarity Notes

Bronze British Victories medal. Eimer-662 reference. Part of the 1758 annus mirabilis celebrations. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-416; PCGS #886459