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Description

1628 Betts-26 Medal, AU58
Dutch Admiral Heyn Victorious Against Spanish

1628 Medal Heyn Victorious at Matanzas, Betts-26, AU58 PCGS. 60.1 mm, 3 mm thick, 80.1 gm. Medal turn. Subtle blue-steel toning predominates, with a hint of gold. A darker region just above the right shoulder is useful for pedigree purposes only and is not visible at all angles. The obverse shows a powerful armored portrait, oriented ¾ right, of the legendary Dutch naval hero, Peter Heyn, along with the Latin title Admiral of the United Netherlands. This focus on the man rather than solely on the commemorated event, which in this case is Heyn's capture of the Spanish silver fleet at Matanzas, sets this medal apart from the earlier Betts numbers. The reverse, however, does show the capture of the Spanish ships, with one sinking in the foreground. The date of the battle, 1628, appears below in exergue.

This medal is quite rare. No example was offered in Ford Part XIII but the present offering was a highlight of the Lucien LaRiviere and John W. Adams collections. Only one other example has been sold recently by either Heritage or Stack's Bowers: the example in Stack's 2011 Americana Sale that traced its pedigree to the J. Schulman Sale in 1917.
Ex: Dr. Paul Patterson; LaRiviere Collection, Part III (Bowers and Merena), lot 1012; The John W. Adams Collection (Heritage, 1/2013), lot 3580.
From The Costa Family Collection, Part II.

Coin Index Numbers: (PCGS# 613801)


View all of [The Costa Family Collection, Part II ]

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Auction Info

Auction Dates
January, 2026
14th-17th Wednesday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 20
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 346

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid per lot.

Sold on Jan 14, 2026 for: $29,280.00
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