Charles III was born on January 20, 1716 and was named the Duke of Parma and Placentia in 1731. His father, Philip V, ceded him the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and Charles was crowned at Palermo on July 3, 1735. On May 9, 1738, he marries Princess Maria Amelia of Poland and he began his reign. After Ferdinand VI, Charles III's brother, passed away, Charles III assumed the Spanish throne with his new wife Elizabeth Farnese and was declared the King of Spain. Charles III was proclaimed in Spain on September 11, 1758. However, his proclamation in the Americas did not take place until the following year, with the exception of a few locations where it was delayed until 1761.
These proclamation medals cover many different locations, including: Bayamo, Bejucal, Buenos Aires, Chihuahua, Chile, Cordoba, Florida, Guadalaxara, Guanaxuato, Guatemala, Havana, Izintzlintan, Jalapa, Lima, Lujan, Matanzas, Mexico, Nueva Cantabria, Pachuca and Real Del Monte, Puebla De Los Angeles, San Luis Potosi, San Miguel, Santa Fe De Bogota, Santiago De Cuba, Santo Domingo, Tabasco, Tacuba, Tasco, Tepeaca, Valladolid, and Vera Cruz.
In 1779, Charles III declared war against England and effectively became an ally to the American Colonies fighting against the British Empire. He was even among the signers of the Declaration of Peace at Versailles in 1783 that acknowledged the colonies freedom from England. He passed away in Madrid on December 14, 1788.
The American Proclamation Pieces of Charles III of Spain Betts Medals include Betts-448 to Betts-506.
