1775 Silver Medal Betts-551, Lord North

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,840 MS63 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1775 silver medal (Betts-551) is the silver version of the Lord North medal, produced in the year the American Revolution began with the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The silver composition makes this considerably scarcer than the bronze version (PCGS #613452). Lord North's legacy is inextricably linked to the loss of the American colonies — he implemented the punitive legislation that united colonial opposition and then prosecuted a war that Britain ultimately lost. Many Betts medals exist in multiple metal compositions struck from the same dies, as mints typically produced gold or silver presentations for dignitaries alongside bronze or copper versions for wider distribution. The silver Betts-551 is a key document of the British perspective on the opening of the Revolutionary War, providing a medallic counterpoint to the American narrative of heroic resistance against tyranny.

Rarity Notes

Original 1775 silver. Silver Lord North medals are rare. Revolutionary War outbreak year.

Cross References

Betts-551; Lord North; silver variant 1775; American Revolution