1779 Bronze Medal Betts-555, James Cook

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,280 MS63 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1779 bronze medal (Betts-555) honors Captain James Cook, who was killed by native Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay on February 14, 1779. Cook's death during his third Pacific voyage shocked the European world and generated numerous commemorative medals, prints, and memorials. Cook's explorations had enormous implications for American history — his charting of the Pacific Northwest coast provided the geographic knowledge that undergirded later American territorial claims to Oregon and Washington. The 1779 date on this memorial medal connects it directly to the year of Cook's death, produced while the American Revolution was still raging. The survival rate of colonial-era medals varies dramatically by material and original production quantity, with gold presentations being the rarest and bronze issues struck in larger quantities being relatively more available to collectors. Cook was mourned by both sides in the conflict, as his contributions to navigation and geography transcended national rivalries.

Rarity Notes

Original 1779 bronze. Cook memorial / death at Kealakekua Bay. Collected across multiple specialties. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-555; Captain James Cook; death at Kealakekua Bay 1779; third voyage