NETHERLANDS. William I. 1815-1840. Æ Medal (42mm, 39.73 g, 12h). Arbitration of the Border Between the United States and Canada. Dated 1829. EF.

Electronic Auction 544
Lot: 726. Estimated: $ 100

World Medals, Bronze

Sold For $ 325. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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NETHERLANDS. William I. 1815-1840. Æ Medal (42mm, 39.73 g, 12h). Arbitration of the Border Between the United States and Canada. Dated 1829. WILHELMVS I NEERLANDIAE REX LVX M DVX, uniformed bust facing slightly right / AB/ ANGLIS/ ET/ AMERICANIS/ SEPTEMTRIONAL/ DE/ TERMINO/ ARBITER/ VOCATUS/ 1829. Attractive brown surfaces, faint hairlines. EF.

The border between the United States and the British province of Lower Canada had been under dispute since the Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812. The land in question, the forests and lakes south of the St. Lawrence river valley, was of concern to the British as it contained the Halifax Road, a land route used by for military communication during the winter months when the St. Lawrence was frozen over. The American state of Maine, newly independent from Massachusetts as of 1820, saw it as a significant logging resource. Between 1829 and 1831, King William I of the Netherlands was selected to arbitrate the dispute, but no agreement could be reached. Local tensions remained strained, ultimately erupting in the Arastook War, an 1838-1839 incident involving American and Canadian lumberjacks. The modern border was ultimately settled in the Webster-Asburton Treaty of 1842.

Closing Date and Time: 16 August 2023 at 14:01:40 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.