Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare and early Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Camp & Villaverde Silver Medal awarded to Captain A. Barbagelata, of the Italian Barque Rosa B., for his humanity in rescuing seven of the crew of the Liverpool Barque Polly in a gale on 30 December 1873 - only the second ever ‘Camp and Villaverde’ Silver Medal awarded

Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Camp and Villaverde Medal for Saving Life at Sea, silver (Captn. Antonio Barbagelata, Barque “Rosa B.”, for rescuing the Crew of the Barque “Polly” of Liverpool 30: Dec: 1873) lacking riband and slip-on ‘Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society’ riband bar; suspension slightly loose, edge bruising, otherwise good very fine, scarce £800-1200

Antonio Barbagelata, Captain of the Italian Barque Rosa B., was awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society’s Camp and Villaverde Medal in silver, together with a Vote of Thanks (case no. 83 of 1874) ‘for his humanity in rescuing seven of the crew of the Barque Polly of Liverpool, in a gale on the 30 December 1873.’
Also for this action the mate of the Rosa B., Guiseppe Ferretti, was awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society’s Bramley-Moore Medal in silver, and the six seamen from the Rosa B. who formed the lifeboat’s crew were each awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society’s Bramley-Moore Medal in bronze.

The Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society’s Camp & Villaverde Medal was instituted in 1873 ‘to be awarded to those who were instrumental in saving life at sea’, and the first award was made to Mr. Rawson Post, mate of the George Hurlbut, for rescuing the crew of the barque Olive in a gale in the Atlantic on 12 April 1873; Barbagelata’s medal was just the second silver medal awarded. In total 37 silver and 8 bronze medals have been awarded, with the last award made in 1944.

Sold together with the recipient’s Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society’s Vote of Thanks Certificate, named to Captain Antonio Barbagelata, and dated 5 March 1874.