1779 Bronze Medal Betts-564, Admiral Keppel

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 MS61 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1779 bronze medal (Betts-564) honors Admiral Augustus Keppel, a British naval commander who became a controversial figure during the American Revolution. Keppel commanded the Channel Fleet at the inconclusive Battle of Ushant (July 27, 1778) against the French, which led to a bitter court-martial and political scandal that divided the Royal Navy's officer corps along political lines. Keppel, a Whig sympathizer who opposed the American war, was acquitted and became a hero to the anti-war faction. The medal celebrates his acquittal and his broader reputation as a capable naval officer unfairly persecuted by the government. Colonial-era medals were produced at royal mints, private workshops, and jewelers' studios across Europe, with production quality ranging from masterfully engraved official issues to crudely cast provincial pieces. The Keppel affair contributed to the political instability that hampered Britain's prosecution of the Revolutionary War.

Rarity Notes

Original 1779 bronze. Admiral Keppel / Battle of Ushant controversy. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-564; Admiral Keppel; Battle of Ushant 1778; British naval politics