Lot 735
Expedition to Vigo Bay 1702, Brass medalet 1702 by Laufer of Nuremburg.

Ancient, British and World Coin Auction - Auction 121 | C25002
Auction: 9 July 2025 at 10:00 BST
£72
Description
Crowned bust of Anne left, rev. Ships burning in blockaded harbour, English fleet in mouth of bay, ANGLOR BATAV VIRTVTE. 25.5mm/4.42gm. (MI ii 239/23). About Extremely Fine, yellow tone.
Footnote
In 1702 Admiral Sir George Rooke, commander of the combined British fleet, learned that a Spanish treasure fleet from South America had arrived at Vigo Bay in Spain, and he resolved to take it. His force of fifty ships besieged the harbour, destroying the French fleet guarding the convoy, sinking most of the ships and capturing cargo worth some 2 million pounds at the time, although sadly most of the gold had already been hurriedly unloaded by the Spanish at the beginning of the action. A special issue of and silver and a few gold British coins was struck from the captured plate, bearing the word Vigo, just in case the Spanish were in any doubt of where their silver had gone!

