(1760) Silver Medal Betts-478, Mexican Pontifical Academy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,645 AU58 02-16-2017 Heritage Auctions

Description

Betts-478 in silver is a medal from the Mexican Pontifical Academy, produced in connection with the 1760 proclamation of Charles III in Mexico City. The Pontifical Academy reference indicates this medal was produced by or for a religious institution -- Mexico City's religious hierarchy was deeply integrated into colonial political ceremonies, and the Catholic Church played a central role in proclamation events. Silver strikings from religious institutions were typically distributed to senior clergy and visiting dignitaries. The connection between church and state in Spanish colonial America was intimate, and proclamation medals issued under ecclesiastical auspices carried religious symbolism alongside the civic and royal imagery. This medal documents the intersection of Catholic institutional power, royal authority, and colonial ceremony that characterized Spanish colonial culture at its most elaborate expression.

Rarity Notes

Silver Mexican Pontifical Academy medal. Religious institutional issue adds interest. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-478; PCGS #619528