Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals

Victoria, Florin, 1872, die 44, rev. planed flat and engraved (Roker Hotel Opened 1st April 1884, Amos Broughton, Proprietor); a Florin-sized coin, both sides planed flat and engraved (San Wilfrido Mined 3rd Aug 1914; J.K. Mather, 1914 P.o.W. Hulks 1917, Cuxhaven, Ruhleben); BELGIUM, Leopold II, Franc, rev. planed flat and engraved (The Great War, 1914 1918, Lillie) around the crest of the Royal Artillery; FRANCE, Third Republic, Franc, rev. planed flat and engraved (To Oswald from Daddy, 1918, Arras, Armentières, Ypres) [4]. Very fine for this material, second of particular note; first pierced for suspension £60-80

Provenance: J. Gardiner Collection.

The first British casualty of World War I was the sinking of the 6,458-ton British cargo vessel San Wilfrido, which was mined off the coat of Cuxhaven on 3 August 1914, the day before War was officially declared. The San Wilfrido had been built by Armstrong Whitworth in their Low Walker yard and launched only six months previously. On the day it was sunk the vessel had left Hamburg bound for Portland, Dorset, preparatory to a trip to New Orleans. Navigating the Elbe, the master elected to traverse the minefield at Cuxhaven without a pilot vessel, but a strong ebb tide carried the San Wilfrido into the mines. Three explosions crippled the ship and a German tug rescued the 44-strong crew, mostly Tynesiders, who were made prisoners of war at Ruhleben