Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals

USA, The Green Cross of Florida, Amalia Island Medal, 1817, a copper award, unsigned, cross within wreath, duce mac gregorio libertas floridarum, rev. date within wreath, 33mm (BHM 957; E 1093; MH 806a; Rulau 10; cf. DNW M14, 1422). Extremely fine with some original colour, very rare £900-£1,200

General Gregor MacGregor (1786-1845), Scottish soldier of fortune and adventurer who fought with Simon Bolivar in the liberation of Venezuela. Having raised some $160,000 he led a group of 55 men to capture San Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida, from the Spanish. The Spanish were surprised and, on 29 June 1817, MacGregor's men overran the garrison, famously raising a flag with a green cross on it without a shot being fired and the independence of Florida was duly declared. He left a few months later to fight the Spanish. For further information see Carling Gresham, ‘General Gregor MacGregor and the 1817 Amelia Island medal’, 1992, where 11 specimens are recorded. Further appearances of the medal at auction have generated further comments and the total number of recorded specimens is now probably close to 20. Gresham belived the medals were struck in England, though others have suggested Paris. In the catalogue of the Lucien La Riviere collection (Bowers & Merena, 2001, lot 2142), it is suggested the medal was struck to be given to investors in a scheme to establish a colony at Poyais in what is now Nicaragua. MacGregor retired to Venezuela in 1839 with the rank of general and a pension