1763 (1762) Capture of the Morro Castle in Havana, Cuba Medal. Betts-443, Eimer-704. Bronze. Unc Details--Cleaned (PCGS). 52 mm. Mottled steely-copper patina drifts over otherwise autumn-brown surfaces. A touch of glossiness to the texture does little more than explain the PCGS qualifier, the in hand appearance smooth and quite pleasing overall. Boldly double struck on the reverse, which feature is most dramatically seen along the right half of the exergual line below the harbor scene depicting the final assault on Morro Castle. A classic among Betts medals of the French and Indian War era, offered here in relatively appealing Mint State preservation.Americans tend not to think of the Caribbean as a front in this conflict. In fact, it became the focus of it after the fall of Canada, with the best military resources North America and England had to offer pouring into Havana after Spain entered the war on the side of France. This medal depicts the loss of the main Spanish fortress in Havana, the Morro Castle. In the scene depicted on the reverse, the powder magazine of the fort explodes, carrying Spanish soldiers high into its mushroom cloud. The AU example in the Adams Collection brought $3,450.
