1782 Silver Medal Betts-604, Holland Treaty

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,560 MS62 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1782 silver medal (Betts-604) commemorates the Holland Treaty — the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and the Netherlands, signed on October 8, 1782. This was the second commercial treaty negotiated by the United States (after the French treaty of 1778) and established the legal framework for Dutch-American trade. John Adams negotiated the treaty, which was crucial for securing continued Dutch financial support for the American war effort. The Dutch loans arranged by Adams were vital to American independence — without them, the Continental Congress would have been unable to finance the government and army during the final years of the Revolution. The iconographic vocabulary of colonial medals drew heavily on classical mythology and allegory, with figures representing continents, rivers, virtues, and vices arranged in compositions that conveyed complex political messages. The silver medal documents this pivotal but often overlooked achievement of American diplomacy.

Rarity Notes

Original 1782 silver. Holland Treaty / Dutch-American commerce. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-604; Holland Treaty 1782; Dutch-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce; John Adams