Period of Colonization (1632-1737), Betts 34-170

About This Coin

Encompassing Betts numbers 34 through 170, this extensive group of medals spans over a century of European colonial consolidation in the Americas, from the early 1630s settlement of Maryland and the Dutch West India Company's peak in New Amsterdam through the establishment of Georgia in the 1730s. The medals within this range document a sweeping tableau of colonial history: Dutch-Portuguese conflicts in Brazil, English Caribbean conquests, French expansion along the Mississippi, William Penn's founding of Pennsylvania, and the complex web of European dynastic wars that repeatedly redrawed colonial boundaries. Struck at mints across Western Europe, these pieces reflect the political priorities of their commissioning governments — French medals celebrate Bourbon colonial ambitions, British pieces trumpet Protestant triumphs over Catholic Spain and France, and Dutch issues document the commercial empire of the VOC and WIC trading companies. C. Wyllys Betts organized this material chronologically in his 1894 catalog, providing collectors with a systematic framework for assembling a medallic history of the colonial Americas. Metal compositions run from gold presentation pieces through silver, bronze, and lead, with silver and bronze being most commonly encountered. A notable auction result reached $78,000 in AU58 grade at Stack's Bowers, demonstrating the strong market for rare and historically significant examples. Many medals in this range survive in limited numbers, having endured nearly four centuries of handling, environmental exposure, and the occasional melting pot. Collectors should approach this material with awareness that attribution can be challenging, as contemporary and later restrike versions sometimes coexist, and specialist references beyond Betts — including Pax in Nummis and national catalogs — often provide supplementary documentation.