1781 Admiral Rodney / Capture of Saint Eustatius Medal. Betts-579, Liechty-10. Silver, 33 mm. MS-62 (PCGS). 375.1 grains. A scarce medal in any composition, but an extreme rarity in silver. Lively and attractive gold, blue, and violet toning enriches light silver gray surfaces. Some luster and reflectivity remain on both sides. Only minor hairlines are apparent, and a light abrasion on the rim above RO of RODNEY is the only contact worthy of note. The eye appeal and sharpness are both excellent. The usually encountered die crack through Rodneys temple to 12 oclock above and his coat lapel below is present and hints at why this medal may be so rare.<p><p>The rarity of the Ford specimen in silver, a very nice piece that brought $2,070 in May 2006, seems to have been underappreciated considering that LaRivieres white metal specimen brought $2,185 in May 2001. This is only the second example in silver that weve seen and only the second silver example we can trace in the literature. BHM calls this medal RRR in silver and RR in bronze.<p><p>St. Eustatius was perhaps the West Indian island most vital to the American war effort. Populated by friendly Dutch, the island existed almost solely for the purpose of commerce. Vast supplies of war materiel, both above board and smuggled, came to the Americans from Europe via St. Eustatius, often called "Statia" at the time. Most sources agree that the first foreign recognition for an American flagged vessel came at St. Eustatius in 1776, and the island continued to have a special relationship with the American cause for the remainder of the war. When Admiral Rodney showed up, along with thousands of British troops, the conquest not only closed an important port to the Americans but also greatly enriched the coffers of both the Crown and the officers who executed the mission. It proved to be a Pyrrhic victory, and today most historians believe that the ships Rodney used to escort the wealth of St. Eustatius back to England would have been of much greater use reinforcing Cornwallis at Yorktown. From the Richard Margolis Collection. Earlier from Christopher Eimer at the New York International Numismatic Convention, January 2011.
