1781 Medal Betts-587, Battle of Doggersbank

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,120 MS63 11-21-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1781 medal (Betts-587) relates to the Battle of Dogger Bank, another variant in the extensive series commemorating the August 5, 1781 North Sea engagement between British and Dutch squadrons. The metal composition is not specified in the title, suggesting it may be a base metal or mixed-metal striking. Betts-587 falls between the other Dogger Bank entries (-585, -588, -589, -590), each representing a different engraver's interpretation of the battle. The Dutch commemorated the engagement with exceptional thoroughness because it represented a resurgence of Dutch naval capability during a period when the Netherlands was struggling to maintain its colonial empire and commercial maritime position against British pressure. Collectors have pursued Betts medals since the nineteenth century, when numismatists first recognized these pieces as a coherent body of historical documentation worthy of systematic study and cataloging.

Rarity Notes

Betts-587 variant of the Dogger Bank series. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-587; Battle of Dogger Bank 1781; Dutch naval commemoration