1760 Silver Medal Betts-450,Buenos Aires

Coin Details

Description

This 1760 silver medal (Betts-450) commemorates events in Buenos Aires related to the accession of King Charles III of Spain to the throne. When a new Spanish monarch ascended, proclamation medals were struck throughout the empire's colonial cities — from Mexico City to Buenos Aires — to officially announce and celebrate the succession. The Buenos Aires proclamation medal documents the ceremony by which Spanish colonial officials formally acknowledged Charles III as their sovereign. These proclamation medals are important documents of the Spanish colonial administrative system and the rituals that bound far-flung territories to the crown. Medal production technology evolved significantly during the Betts period, from the hand-engraved dies and screw presses of the sixteenth century to the more mechanized operations that became standard by the mid-eighteenth century. Charles III would prove to be one of Spain's most reformist monarchs, modernizing colonial administration and commerce.

Rarity Notes

Original 1760 silver. Spanish colonial proclamation medal from Buenos Aires. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-450; Buenos Aires; Charles III proclamation 1760; Spanish colonial