1739 Bronze Medal Admiral Vernon, A-C PBvl 1-A Admiral Lezo

Coin Details

Auction Record

$456 AU50 02-21-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1739 bronze medal, cataloged as Adams-Chao PBvl 1-A, is the sole recorded die pairing in the extraordinarily rare Vernon and Lezo subgroup. The PBvl prefix designates medals featuring both Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and his Spanish adversary, Admiral Blas de Lezo, who commanded the defense of Porto Bello. Lezo was one of the most formidable Spanish naval commanders of the eighteenth century — he had lost a leg, an arm, and an eye in previous battles yet continued to command from the quarterdeck. The inclusion of the enemy commander on a British propaganda medal is exceptional and may reflect a chivalric acknowledgment of a worthy opponent, or alternatively, it may depict Lezo in a submissive posture symbolizing Spanish defeat. Struck in copper alloy (AE), this medal is unique within the Vernon series for its dual-nationality portraiture. The PBvl subgroup's existence as a single die pairing makes the 1-A combination one of the rarest and most historically significant varieties in the entire Adams-Chao catalog.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. The only recorded die pairing in the PBvl subgroup. One of the rarest Vernon medal varieties.

Cross References

A-C PBvl 1-A; PCGS #930240