(1766) Silver Medal Betts-515, William Pitt

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,040 AU53 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-515 in silver is a premium version of the William Pitt medal from 1766, struck in precious metal for the most distinguished recipients. Silver Pitt medals would have been produced for colonial governors, assembly leaders, wealthy merchants, and other prominent individuals who wished to honor the statesman in the most prestigious manner possible. Pitt's championship of colonial rights during the Stamp Act crisis elevated him to near-heroic status in America, and silver portrait medals served as the eighteenth-century equivalent of fine art -- expensive objects that communicated the owner's political sympathies and cultural sophistication. Betts-515 features its own specific portrait design, as multiple engravers produced Pitt medals with varying levels of artistic accomplishment. Silver Pitt medals are scarcer than bronze versions and are among the most sought-after pre-Revolutionary American commemoratives.

Rarity Notes

Silver William Pitt medal. Premium composition, limited production. Scarce and actively collected.

Cross References

Betts-515; PCGS #889696