1759 Silver Medal Betts-421, Eimer-673 Quebec Taken

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,585 MS62 02-16-2017 Heritage Auctions

Description

This silver medal, Betts-421, commemorates the capture of Quebec in silver, cataloged as Eimer-673. The dual reference confirms its documentation in both American colonial and British historical medal catalogs. General Wolfe's daring plan to scale the cliffs below Quebec and draw the French into battle on the Plains of Abraham succeeded brilliantly, though at the cost of his own life. Wolfe's death in the moment of victory became one of the most celebrated episodes in British military history, immortalized in Benjamin West's famous painting. Many Betts medals exist in multiple metal compositions struck from the same dies, as mints typically produced gold or silver presentations for dignitaries alongside bronze or copper versions for wider distribution. This silver medal documents the event that decided the fate of North America, transferring control of the continent from France to Britain.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Silver Quebec medal with Eimer cross-reference.

Cross References

Betts-421, Eimer-673