(1770) Bronze Medal Betts-527, George Whitefield

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,440 MS61BN 08-24-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-527 in bronze is a third George Whitefield memorial medal variety from 1770, completing the trio of Betts numbers (525-527) devoted to the famous evangelist. The production of three distinct medal designs honoring a religious figure is unusual in the Betts catalog, which is dominated by military and political subjects, and testifies to Whitefield's exceptional fame. Whitefield's influence on colonial America extended well beyond religion -- his travels and correspondence created networks of communication that crossed colonial boundaries, contributing to the emerging sense of shared American identity that would prove important during the Revolution. The bronze memorial medals produced after his death served as both personal mourning tokens and collectors' items, preserving the memory of a man who had touched the lives of colonists from Georgia to New England.

Rarity Notes

Bronze Whitefield memorial medal, third variety (Betts-527). Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-527; PCGS #636823