1773 Carib War Medal. Betts-529. Silver, cast and chased. Mint State.54.0 mm, 67.0 mm including loop. 1006.4 grains. A spectacular and distinctive example of this 18th century classic, issued locally on the island of St. Vincent to troops engaged in putting down an uprising of the native / creole Caribs in late 1772 and early 1773. The medal was authorized by the Legislative Assembly of the Island of St. Vincent, making this a true West Indian medal rather than an English one. The Carib War engaged the native Caribs, a creole population of indigenous and African descent, against the English in a classic battle between colonizers and the colonized. The population of Saint Vincent exploded after the islands 1762 conquest in the Seven Years (French and Indian) War, and the new arrivals all expected to find land to establish sugar plantations. Their entitlement forced English authorities into traditionally native lands, and the natives fought back. Five months of guerrilla warfare against superior numbers of better outfitted troops ended with a treaty and a promise of "firm and lasting peace and friendship." These words, for those who know the history of North American Anglo-native relations, or the medals attendant to them, may sound familiar.All known specimens are cast and chased, meaning these were cast from a mould, then hand finished with engraving tools. Those awarded at the time (1773) were wrapped in a rim with a decorative bezel of the type seen here. Non-bezeled specimens are known in copper and iron, but those appear to be either not intended for distribution, aftercasts of a later date, or both. This examples chasing is far more elaborate and decorative than usually encountered. While most specimens have the bare essentials of detail on King Georges bust and somewhat matte, pebbly surfaces in the fields, this example was exquisitely chased with elaborate filigree detail, fine leatherwork on the cuirass, and a punched beaded border around the inside of the obverse rim. The reverse has been decorated with an extremely well accomplished twin-leaf border design. The details have been strengthened and the fields have been smoothed. The legends on both sides have been strengthened. There is no reason to suspect this chase work is of a later era, instead, some of the casts were very poorly done, and it appears the chaser simply took a poorly defined cast and really went to town on it. We could speculate this was done for an officer of elevated rank or some such.An elegant and unique example of this highly significant medal.
