- Museum number
- M.7693
- Description
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Silver medal. (whole)
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Busts conjoined, right, of James II and Mary of Modena. He, laureate, hair long, descending in several ringlets in front, wears scale armour and mantle: she, with pearls in her hair and one lovelock, is in mantle. (obverse)
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A ship, the boats of which are engaged in fishing up treasure from a wreck. (reverse)
- Production date
- 1686
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 54.000 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Medallic Illustrations 1, published in 1885, states:
Not uncommon.
In the reign of Charles II, Captain William Phipps, under the auspices of the King, attempted to recover the treasure which had, forty-four years before, been lost with a Spanish ship in the West Indies, off Hispaniola. His efforts were unsuccessful, and James II refused to assist in his renewed attempts; but Christopher, Duke of Albemarle, and some friends advanced the necessary funds; when these were almost exhausted he became successful, and returned to England with silver to the amount of £300,000. These medals, struck by Bower, were presented to the officers of the ship and to the promoters of the undertaking; and the King himself appears to have given them occasionally to his friends and favourites. (See ‘Gentleman’s Magazine’ or ‘Monthly Intelligencer’, 1792, p. 19.) The legend recommends perseverance. Let your hook always hang. It occurs also on a Dutch jeton of the year 1686. (See Van Loon, Gerard, ‘Histoire Métallique des XVII. Provinces des Pays-Bas’, 5 vol. La Haye, 1732-1837 (fol) [There is also an edition in Dutch, but with different paging], III. 317.)
See Pinkerton, J., ‘The Medallic History of England to the Revolution’, London, 1790 (fol.), xxxviii. 1; Evelyn, John, ‘A Discourse of Medals ancient and modern, &c’, London, 1697 (fol.), 151; ‘Gentleman’s Magazine’ or ‘Monthly Intelligencer’, London, 1792, p. 17.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated events
- Commemoration of: Recovery of a Spanish Wreck and its treasure
- Department
- Money and Medals
- Registration number
- M.7693
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: H30
- C&M catalogue number
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MB1 (Medallic Illustrations 1) (619) (33)