(1775) Bronze Medal Betts-533, William Penn

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,290 MS65BN 11-02-2016 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-533 in bronze commemorates William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, one of the most important figures in American colonial history. Penn's establishment of Pennsylvania in 1682 as a "Holy Experiment" in religious tolerance and democratic governance created one of the most successful and influential colonies in British North America. The 1775 date places this medal at the beginning of the American Revolution, when Penn's legacy of democratic principles and individual rights was being invoked by colonists asserting their liberties against parliamentary tyranny. The medal's design features Penn's portrait and imagery relating to his founding vision. William Penn medals produced during the Revolutionary era carry additional significance as deliberate invocations of the colonial founding tradition to justify resistance to British authority. Penn's treaties with Native Americans and his commitment to peaceful governance made him an idealized figure in American political memory.

Rarity Notes

Bronze William Penn medal from 1775. Important colonial founder subject. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-533; PCGS #597279