1761 Silver Medal Betts-458, American Proclamation

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,440 AU55 01-20-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1761 silver medal (Betts-458) is an American Proclamation medal, part of the series announcing the accession of a new monarch throughout the colonial territories. The 1761 date indicates a slightly later proclamation ceremony, as news of royal successions took time to reach distant colonial outposts and the formal ceremonies were not always held immediately upon receipt of the news. Proclamation medals served as both official documents and commemorative souvenirs of the loyalty oath ceremony, during which colonial officials publicly swore allegiance to the new sovereign. The silver composition indicates this was produced for dignitaries and officials rather than for general distribution. These medals are important documents of the political rituals that maintained colonial authority across vast distances.

Rarity Notes

Original 1761 silver. American Proclamation medal. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-458; American Proclamation 1761; colonial loyalty ceremony