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1581 Medal (1560) West Indies Commerce. Betts-12 Variant. Silver, gilt, cast with frame. VF. Uncertified....
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Sold on Jan 15, 2026 for:
$5,124.00
Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
Description
1581 West Indies Commerce Medal
Cast Silver, Gilt, With Ornate Frame
Betts-12 Variant
1581 Medal (1560) West Indies Commerce. Betts-12 Variant.
Silver, gilt, cast with frame. VF. Uncertified. 42.0 mm, 51.8
mm with frame, 18.9 gm. Medal turn. The obverse of this medal is
something of a mystery, showing a cherub holding scales in clouds
over an unidentified seaport city, Latin legend NICA NILA, Nothing
will Conquer Us. The reverse is that of the preceding RELIQVVM
DATURA medals, but in less dramatic relief. The outer border is
composed of linked heart-shaped figures, perhaps the stylized
fire-steels of Burgundy that are still to be seen in the Order of
the Golden Fleece that originated in that dukedom, later part of
the Spanish Netherlands. See "A Medal Mystery," MCA
Advisory, January 2004, for Adams' findings on these medals. No
example with this obverse appeared in the Ford sales.John W. Adams commented prior to his 2013 auction:
"Cast with an ornate filigreed frame (an identical frame can be seen on the Charles V medal, 1577, in the collection of the ANS; the design is a symbol of the house of Burgundy). Unlisted obverse: cherub holding the scales of justice flies over a city (The Hague?). It is wholly unclear to what this scene and legend alludes, our best guess being the Peace of Cambrai, 1560. Reverse of Betts-12. In the words of Baldwin's cataloguer: 'An excellent and contemporary example with original gilding'; the medal fetched $3,775 in 2003."
Ex: A.H. Baldwin (10/2003), lot 2441; John W. Adams Collection/FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2013), lot 3558.
From The Costa Family Collection, Part II.
View all of [The Costa Family Collection, Part II ]
Auction Info
2026 January 14 - 17 FUN US Coins Signature® Auction #1390 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
January, 2026
14th-17th
Wednesday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 6
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 172
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid per lot.
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