(No Date) Bronze Medal Admiral Vernon, A-C NLa 1-A Argyle/Walpole

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,920 MS63 08-24-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This undated bronze medal, cataloged as Adams-Chao NLa 1-A, belongs to the rare Argyle/Walpole subgroup of the Admiral Vernon medal series. Unlike the majority of Vernon medals that celebrate the Porto Bello victory, this piece targets the domestic political controversy surrounding the War of Jenkins' Ear. The obverse features imagery related to the Duke of Argyll and Sir Robert Walpole, whose cautious foreign policy was a target of opposition politicians who championed Vernon as a national hero. The reverse employs a different die pairing designated "A" by Adams and Chao, combining anti-Walpole political satire with naval imagery. The NLa prefix indicates no specific battle location is referenced, placing the emphasis entirely on the political dimension of Vernon's celebrity. Struck privately in England as copper alloy (AE), this medal exemplifies how Vernon's Porto Bello victory in November 1739 was exploited by political factions to attack Prime Minister Walpole's reluctance to wage aggressive war against Spain. The Argyle/Walpole medals are among the scarcest varieties in the Vernon series, as their overtly political nature limited their appeal compared to the patriotic Porto Bello types.

Rarity Notes

Very scarce. The NLa Argyle/Walpole subgroup is one of the rarest in the Vernon medal series, with far fewer surviving examples than the Porto Bello types.

Cross References

A-C NLa 1-A; PCGS #783105