Historical and Art Medals, Numismatic Books

18th Century, Loss of Minorca, 1756, a pinchbeck medal, unsigned, half-length figure of General Blakeney, holding British flag and baton which points to ship at right, fort firing cannon at left, brave blakney reward above, but to b give a cord in exergue, rev. half-length figure of Admiral Byng three-quarters left, receiving a purse, ship behind, minorca sold above, for french gold in exergue, 34mm (MI II, 680/395 variety; Danson, SNC 1980, pp.260-1, this piece). was and by b stamped in reverse field, about very fine and extremely rare, very few specimens known from the dies in this early state (£150-200)

Provenance:
E.W. Danson Collection.

As a prelude to what became the Seven Years War, the Spanish island of Minorca, a British possession since 1708, was invaded by 15,000 French troops in April 1756. Admiral Byng was ordered to the island to relieve the British garrison at Fort St Philip, under the leadership of General William Blakeney (1672-1761), and engaged the French fleet off-shore on 20 May 1756. The French gained the upper hand and Byng, thinking his force not fit for purpose, withdrew. After a siege of 71 days, the garrison surrendered to the Duc de Richelieu on 27 June 1756. Blakeney and his men were given passage to Gibraltar, from where they returned to Britain; on his return to Portsmouth Byng was tried by court-martial, condemned and shot on the quarter-deck of HMS Monarch on 14 March 1757. Sold with a photocopy of the article by Ernest Danson on this medal (SNC July-August 1980, pp.260-1). It would appear that the first medals commemorating the loss, with the reverse legend minorca sold for french gold, were soon followed by those from which the reverse die was softened and the legend altered to minorca sold by b for french gold; these characteristically have a flaw in the exergue (see next lot)