1789 Bronze Medal Breen-1080, Zespedes Florida

Coin Details

Auction Record

$96,000 XF40BN 06-21-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1789 bronze medal, cataloged as Breen-1080, commemorates Vicente Manuel de Zespedes y Velasco, Spanish governor of East Florida from 1784 to 1790. Zespedes oversaw the return of Florida to Spanish control following the Treaty of Paris (1783). During twenty years of British rule (1763-1783), Florida had been divided into East and West Florida; Zespedes managed the complex transition back to Spanish authority. The Breen catalog is a standard reference for early American medals. American commemorative medals document the nation's history through miniature sculptural art, preserving events, achievements, and personalities in a durable metallic format that has served collectors and historians for centuries. This medal documents the Spanish colonial presence in North America during the same period the United States was establishing its own government, providing context for the late eighteenth-century Southeast.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Breen-1080. Spanish Florida colonial medals are extremely scarce in American collections.

Cross References

PCGS #939891; Breen-1080; Zespedes; Spanish Florida; 1789; Bronze