1602 Holland Covets Spanish America / Capture of the St. Jago Medal. Silver. 51.8 mm. 36.9 grams. Betts-21, Van Loon (I) page 564. VF-25 (NGC). An evenly toned, steel gray piece with all design elements clear despite moderate wear. The peripheries have toned in a lovely teal and gold iridescence, contributing to the pleasing overall eye appeal. An attractive mid-grade example. The obverse shows the Spanish galleon St. Jago being taken as a Dutch prize in the South Atlantic in 1602. The reverse depicts the Dutch lion chasing a Spanish horse across the sea, with a legend reminding Spain, in Latin, The World is Not So Big That Where You Go I Cannot Follow. The Dutch-Spanish rivalry defined the settlement of the New World for most of the 17th century, an era of piracy and conquest that still looms large in the American imagination.
