1782 Johan Derk, Baron van der Capellen Medal. Betts, p. 305. Silver shells, 49.3 mm. MS-61 (PCGS).A lovely portrait medal of a Dutch politician who was outspoken for the American cause. Van der Capellen used his political profile in the Netherlands to successfully lobby for financial support for the Patriots and offered important public backing to the Americans. This medal celebrates Van der Capellens political views with a handsome portrait of the figure on the obverse executed by the Dutch master Johann Georg Holtzhey. The surfaces are appealing and lustrous, with strong golden toning around the violet-gray obverse, while the highly reflective reverse is awash was pastel shades. The surface quality is excellent despite scattered light marks and hairlines that account for the assigned grade. <p><p>Betts did not list the medals marking Baron Van de Capellen, but he did mention them among the "several medals relating to individuals prominent in this country in connection with the War of Independence, or active abroad in behalf of the cause of the Colonies." He continued on to mention the medals of Cornwallis and "six or seven which are described and engraved in the Supplement to Van Loon, struck in honor of Johan Derk, Baron Van Capellen - including three on the death of the latter." Betts identified Van der Capellen as "an ardent sympathizer with the cause of the American Colonies," continuing to mention his correspondence with governors Trumbull of Connecticut and Livingston of New Jersey, along with his friendly partnership with John Adams that led to "one of the medals struck in honor of Capellen [being] given by him to Adams, still preserved by his descendants." Considering that Van der Capellen likely did not give Adams one of the medals struck to his memory, that makes this type a leading contender for the medal type to which Betts refers.<p><p>This is a scarce medal. Just three have been sold at auction in Europe in the last 15 years. This specimen has gotten sort of passed around the top tier of American Betts collectors, first owned by LaRiviere as his sole medal of Van der Capellen, then to Ford to represent to type, and for the last 12 years to Syd Martin.<p>.<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 our (Bowers and Merenas) sale of the Lucien LaRiviere Collection, Part III, May 2001, lot 1123; our (Stacks) sale of the John J. Ford Jr. Collection; Part XIV, May 2006, lot 504; our (Stacks) Americana sale, January 2010, lot 4708; our Philadelphia Americana sale, September 2011, lot 87.<p>