1715 Society of Merchants Medal. Betts-111. Gold, 34.5 mm. AU Details--Mount Removed (PCGS). 457.4 grains. An extraordinary rarity in the series, a Betts number missing from Adams, Ford, LaRiviere, and most other cabinets of this specialty ever formed. Syd bought this from an Irish auction in 2011. Another turned up in Monaco in 2018, and Presidential Coin and Antique Company offered an apparently gilt silver example in 2015, but we record no other modern or ancient offerings. Betts noted one in the Bibliotheque Nationale. <p><p>This piece shows superb reflectivity and rich golden color across both sides. Some hairlines are noted on both sides, but the sharpness and luster remains. Any mount or edge issue is now hidden by the slab.<p><p>This obverse, of course, does not date to 1715, as it depicts a much more mature bust of Louis XV that is similar to those seen on some Franco-American jetons of the 1750s. Betts translates the reverse legend as "All the world is open to me. Society of Merchants founded for the islands, 1715." The westward bound ocean-going ship drives home the American relevance.<p><p>Neither Ford nor LaRiviere owned an example, and this is the first weve ever offered. McDowell usefully suggests a connection between this medal and the Chamber of Commerce in Lille, an inland river city near the Belgian border that was known for manufacturing more than trade. Many cities in France established similar Societies of Merchants in this era, though the reason for this medals production - and subsequent release as a gold medal - is obscure. PCGS# 921084. <strong>To view supplemental information and all items from the Sydney F. Martin Collection, click<a href="https://stacksbowers.com/sydney-f-martin-collection/"target=’_blank’> here.</a></strong> From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from International Coin Exchanges Auction No. 2 (Dublin), February 2011, lot 516, via John Kraljevich.
