(1771) Bronze Medal Betts-528, William and Mary

Coin Details

Auction Record

$10,800 MS65 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-528 in bronze commemorates William and Mary, though the 1771 date places this well after the reign of William III and Mary II (1689-1694). This medal relates to the College of William and Mary in Virginia, the second-oldest institution of higher education in America, or to a memorial or anniversary observance connected to the co-monarchs whose names are inextricably linked to colonial American history. William III's reign encompassed King William's War, the first major colonial conflict between England and France, and the establishment of many institutions in the colonies. The bronze medal documents either the institutional history of colonial education or a retrospective commemoration of the Williamite era. William and Mary medals from the 1770s, on the eve of the American Revolution, carry additional significance as reflections of how colonists viewed their own institutional heritage.

Rarity Notes

Bronze medal connected to William and Mary, dated 1771. Unusual late date for this subject. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-528; PCGS #935476