1739 Bronze Medal Admiral Vernon, A-C NLh 1-A

Coin Details

Auction Record

$660 VF Details 02-21-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1739 bronze medal, cataloged as Adams-Chao NLh 1-A, belongs to the miscellaneous No Location subgroup of the Vernon medal series. The NLh designation indicates a Vernon medal that references no specific battle or geographic location and does not fit neatly into the portrait, icon, or political subcategories. Die pairing 1-A represents the combination of obverse die 1 with reverse die A in this subgroup. Struck in copper alloy (AE) in England, this medal was part of the enormous outpouring of privately produced medals celebrating Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon following his capture of Porto Bello, Panama on November 21, 1739 with only six warships. Vernon's unexpected victory against a fortified Spanish port electrified the British public and generated hundreds of medal varieties produced by London and provincial die sinkers. The NLh varieties tend to feature generalized naval or patriotic imagery rather than specific battle scenes, serving as all-purpose celebrations of Vernon's heroism. This die combination is the only recorded pairing in the NLh 1-A designation.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The NLh subgroup is less commonly encountered than the main Porto Bello types.

Cross References

A-C NLh 1-A; PCGS #930164