Gold medal of Admiral George Anson: defeat of
the French at Finisterre, by Thomas Pingo
London, England, AD 1747
Ruler of the waves
George Anson (1697-1762) was one of the most
famous and successful naval commanders of the eighteenth century,
working his way through the ranks of the navy to become a hero to
the British public. On 3 May 1747, British ships under Admiral
Anson encountered and fought a convoy of French battleships at
Finisterre off the Spanish coast, capturing nine vessels. The
victory won him great acclaim and he was raised to the peerage.
However, his fame was earlier founded on a voyage (1740-44) in
which he circumnavigated the globe as commander of the
Centurion, the only
means of return for a poorly equipped squadron of six vessels that
were sent to fight the enemy in the Pacific. The trip was one of
hardship; only one ship completed the voyage, while nearly 1400 men
died from disease or starvation. The capture of a Spanish treasure
ship in the Indian Ocean in 1742 changed the character of the
voyage, creating Anson's fortune and a triumphant return to
England.
This medal,
commissioned from Thomas Pingo (1692-1776), assistant engraver at
the Royal Mint, after the victory at Finisterre, commemorates both
the battle and the voyage. On one side we see the bust of the
admiral crowned with a laurel by Victory; the reverse bears the
legend 'Circumnavigation' and the names of other
members of the crew on the famous journey.
G. Williams, The prize of all the oceans: t (London, HarperCollins, 1999)
J.R. Whiting, Commemorative medals: a medall (Newton Abbot, David & Charles, 1972)