1781 Silver Medal Betts-590, Battle of Doggersbank

Coin Details

Auction Record

$660 MS62BN 06-17-2018 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1781 silver medal (Betts-590) is the final numbered variant in the Dogger Bank battle series. Betts-590 completes the extensive medallic documentation of the August 5, 1781 engagement. The six distinct Betts numbers devoted to this single battle (585 through 590) demonstrate the extraordinary level of public interest in the Netherlands. The Battle of Dogger Bank represented a moment of national revival for the Dutch, proving that their naval tradition was not extinct. For the American cause, the Anglo-Dutch War was beneficial because it further stretched British naval resources, preventing the Royal Navy from concentrating its full strength against the Franco-American alliance that would achieve the decisive victory at Yorktown in October 1781. The tradition of striking commemorative medals for New World events began with Spanish and Portuguese pieces in the sixteenth century, expanded through Dutch and French production in the seventeenth, and reached its peak with British issues during the colonial wars.

Rarity Notes

Original 1781 silver. Final variant in the Dogger Bank series. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-590; Battle of Dogger Bank 1781; Anglo-Dutch War