1772 Silver Medal Betts-552, Resolution & Adventure

Coin Details

Auction Record

$22,800 MS62 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1772 silver medal (Betts-552) commemorates the Resolution and Adventure, the two ships of Captain James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific (1772-1775). Cook sailed HMS Resolution and HMS Adventure on this expedition to search for the theoretical southern continent (Terra Australis), circumnavigating the globe at high southern latitudes and proving that no habitable southern continent existed. The voyage also explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, directly contributing to future territorial claims. Cook's meticulous charting of coastlines and his pioneering methods for preventing scurvy transformed naval exploration. The 1772 date marks the departure of this epochal voyage, which expanded European knowledge of the Pacific region and had lasting implications for American territorial expansion to the west coast.

Rarity Notes

Original 1772 silver. Cook's second voyage. Collected across exploration and Americana specialties. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-552; Resolution and Adventure; Captain Cook second voyage 1772-1775