1781 Silver Medal Betts-583, Dutch Victory

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,080 MS62 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1781 silver medal (Betts-583) commemorates a Dutch Victory during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War. Despite being outmatched by the Royal Navy overall, the Dutch achieved several notable naval successes during the conflict. The Dutch navy, though much reduced from its seventeenth-century glory, fought tenaciously to protect Dutch commerce and colonial possessions. Dutch medals commemorating their wartime successes are important documents of the European dimension of the American Revolution, which expanded from a colonial rebellion into a global conflict involving all the major European maritime powers. European medallic art of this era served as an official record of imperial achievements, with court-appointed medalists crafting pieces that communicated territorial claims and military victories to educated audiences across the continent. The silver composition indicates production for officials and collectors rather than mass distribution.

Rarity Notes

Original 1781 silver. Dutch Victory / Anglo-Dutch War. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-583; Dutch Victory 1781; Fourth Anglo-Dutch War