1781 Silver Medal Betts-581, St. Eustatia Captured

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,920 MS62 11-21-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1781 silver medal (Betts-581) commemorates the capture of St. Eustatius, the small Dutch Caribbean island that had served as the primary entrepot for smuggling supplies and arms to the American rebels. Admiral Rodney captured St. Eustatius on February 3, 1781, seizing an enormous quantity of military supplies, commercial goods, and shipping. The island had been an open port where merchants of all nations traded freely, and it had become the most important supply line between Europe and the American colonies. The capture of "The Golden Rock," as St. Eustatius was known, temporarily disrupted American supply chains. 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. However, Rodney's controversial seizure of private property — including goods belonging to British merchants — created a political scandal that diminished his victory.

Rarity Notes

Original 1781 silver. St. Eustatius captured. Important supply war subject. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-581; St. Eustatius Captured 1781; Admiral Rodney; Golden Rock