The ‘Merchant of the Islands’ Collection of Admiral Vernon Medals

Admiral Vernon medals were issued beginning with Admiral Edward Vernon’s capture of the
Spanish treasure port of Porto Bello on November 21, 1739. This war was the result of years of depredations on British shipping by the Spanish Guarda Costas. To be fair, Spain had implemented the Guarda Costas to prevent the rampant smuggling into Spanish territory which was going on even though Britain held the Asiento which gave them a monopoly on the slave trade as well as annual ‘register ships’ which were permitted to trade in designated Spanish ports. Of all the incidents, the proximate cause was the loss of the auricular appendage of one Robert Jenkins.
The unfortunate Jenkins was captain of the Rebecca of Glasgow, returning to England from
Jamaica via the Gulf, with a cargo of sugar, when he was becalmed east of Havana on 9 Apri 1731. She was boarded by the crew of a Guarda Costa row galley under the command of Juan de León Fandiño. When no Spanish goods were found, the Rebecca was rifled for cash, charts, navigation instruments and valuables. In the course of this, Jenkins was hoisted numerous times from the foremast and dropped to the deck and his ear cut off by Fandino with his cutlass. With the words "the same will happen to him (the king) if caught going in Spanish waters”, Fandino then restored the severed appendage to Jenkins. At the time the incident received little attention, but was reported in The Gentleman’s Magazine in June 1731 as well as in Benjamin Franklin’s The Pennsylvania Gazette of 7 October 1731.
In the spring of 1738 Jenkins repeated his story, with dramatic details, before a committee of the House of Commons, producing his severed ear (pickled in a jar). With the words in Parliament “I will take Porto Bello with six ships only” Edward Vernon set the course for yet another war with Spain. By the summer of 1739, all diplomatic efforts were exhausted and George II, on 10 July, directed the Admiralty to initiate maritime reprisals against Spain.
Assuming Vernon would meet the same disastrous fate as Admiral Hozier some twelve years earlier, Prime Minister Robert Walpole gave Vernon his ships. When Vernon succeeded spectacularly, England went wild with a flood of privately issued medals. This success prompted a second massive amphibious assault on Cartagena with the British army and American volunteers joining in. The initial naval attacks were successful but the final assault on the city was repulsed due to the vigorous defence led by the oneeyed, one-armed, one-legged soldier of the king, Don Blas De Lezo, a lethargic British army with too short scaling ladders and ultimately the advent of Yellow Jack. With this, the expedition to conquer Spain’s colonies in the New World ground to an inglorious end.
The medals here offered are the result of over 30 years of searching. Also included in this sale are a number of relevant books from my library. I commend them to you. Study them closely and the personalities, places, events, trials and tribulations of this swashbuckling era will come to life.
Happy Collecting,
A Merchant of the Islands
Collection Information
This collection was sold on 24 April 2019.
Other Collections Sold in 2019
- Tokens from the Late David Griffiths Collection
- London 17th Century Tokens from the Collection of Quentin Archer
- English Coins from the Collection of the late Dr John Hulett
- Coins of France from the Collection of the late Tony Merson
- The North Yorkshire Moors Collection of British Coins
- English Coins from the Collection of the late John Atkinson
- British Copper and Bronze Coins from the Collection formed by the late Hiram Brown
- The Collection of British Coins Formed by the Late Ray Inder
- The Paul Shimmin Collection of Isle of Man Banknotes
- 19th Century Tokens from the Collection of the Late Francis Cokayne
- A Collection of Tokens, the Property of a Gentleman
- A Collection of Medals Relating to Aviation, the Property of a Gentleman
- Scottish Educational Award Medals from the Collection formed by the late T.H. Watts
- A Collection of Medals for the Russian Intervention 1918-20
- A Collection of Medals to Casualties from the Battle of Imjin River, 22-25 April 1951
- Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers
- A Collection of Medals to the 23rd Foot Royal Welsh Fusiliers
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- A Collection of Medals to the 21st (Yeoman Rifles) Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps
- A Collection of Fire Brigade Medals
- The Collection of Halfcrowns formed by Brian Dawson
- A Collection of Watches and Rings by the Award Winning French Designer Jean Muller
- Louis Osman Interest
- A Collection of Memorabilia relating to family of Thomas Percy, Bishop of Dromore, and Edward Whalley
- A Private Collection of Jewels by de Grisogono
- The David Kirch Collection of Jersey Paper Money
- Banknotes from the Brian Dawson Collection
- A Collection of Maundy Sets
- A Collection of Jetons, the Property of a Gentleman
- The ‘Merchant of the Islands’ Collection of Admiral Vernon Medals
- Swedish Medals from the Collection formed by the late Sven Gahlin
- A Small Collection of Ancient Coins, the Property of a Gentleman
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- A Collection of Egypt and Sudan Medals for the Nile Campaign 1884-85
- The Collection of Medals to Yeomen of the Guard formed by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Denny
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- A Collection of German Militaria
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- A Collection of Maundy Sets
- Tickets and Passes of London from the David Young Collection
- A Collection of Bois Durci Medals
- Roman Coins from the Collection of Keith Cullum
- British Coins from the Collection formed by J.D.D. Brown
- The Private Collection of a Gentleman
- The David Livingstone Collection
- A private collection of Regimental and Royal Memorabilia relating to Corporal Ernest G Moffatt
- A Collection of Gallantry Awards to the Lincolnshire Regiment
- The Robin Scott-Smith Collection of Medals to Casualties
- A Collection of Medals to Second World War Royal Air Force Casualties
- A Collection of Medals for the Boxer Rebellion 1900
- A Collection of Russian Historical Medals, the Property of a Gentleman
- British Coins from the Collection of Dr John Tooze
- Gold Coins of Elizabeth I from the Collection formed by Walter Wilkinson
- A Collection of Elizabeth II Coins and Proof Sets in precious metals
- A Small Collection of European Thalers and their Fractions
- A Collection of Great War Military Medals to the Lincolnshire Regiment
- The John Nicholson Collection of medals to men who fought in the Kaffir Wars of 1834-53
- A Collection of General Service Medals for Northern Ireland
- World Tokens, the Property of a North Country Collector
- The Collection of London 17th Century Tokens Formed by the Late Cole Danehower
- The Collection of Worcestershire Tokens Formed by the Late Michael Paterson
- 18th Century Tokens from the Collection of the Late David McDonald
- The Collection of Scottish Tokens Formed by the Late Michael Paterson
- Tickets and Checks from the Collection of Bob Lyall
- English Coins from the Collection of the late Keith Cullum
- Coins of the Carlisle Mint from the John Mattinson Collection
- A Collection of Edward IV Groats
- Coin Weights from two Private Collections
- A Collection of Coins of the Indian Sultanates
- A Collection of Historical Medals, the Property of a Gentleman
- The ‘Millennium’ Hoard of Æthelred II Pennies and cut Halfpence from Suffolk
- The Gordon Freestone Collection of 20th Century British Coins
- An Important Group of Ephemera relating to Thomas Graham, Master of the Mint
- A Private Collection of Sovereign Cases
- A Collection of Medals Relating to the 1st Anglo-Boer War 1880-81
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