Captain Cook’s Second Voyage Medal Sells for £6,500

A commemorative medal from Captain James Cook’s second expedition of discovery in 1772 was sold at auction for £6,500. Captain Cook’s mission was to journey as far south as feasible to ascertain the existence of a significant southern continent, and these medals were distributed to individuals encountered during the journey. In total, 2,000 such medals were minted and subsequently given to inhabitants across over 30 different sites, among them Tahiti, Easter Island, and New Zealand. Gareth Wasp, representing RWB Auctions located in Royal Wootton Bassett, commented, “It’s a fantastic item full of history.” Mr Wasp indicated that the auction firm had garnered attention from collectors situated in South America, the United States, and Australia, especially those with an interest in naval history and expeditions. During the sale held on Wednesday, the medal achieved a price exceeding twice its estimated value of £3,000. Mr Wasp stated, “We are not sure how many are still in existence.” He added, “This one we have would have had an original hanging loop which is no longer there. It is a pretty rare medal.” The Admiralty financed the creation of the medal, which was commissioned by the renowned botanist Sir Joseph Banks. Their purpose was twofold: to serve as evidence for subsequent explorers that Captain Cook was the initial visitor to previously uncharted territories, and to present the indigenous populations to the reigning British monarch at the time, King George III, whose likeness is depicted on the reverse. The medal features the two vessels commissioned for the expedition, HMS Resolution and HMS Adventure, and bears the inscription ‘Sailed from England March · MDCCLXXII’ (1772). Sir Joseph had initially planned to participate in Captain Cook’s second voyage but opted out at the final moment, which caused a delay in departure and resulted in an inaccurate date being inscribed on the medals. The original recipient of the medal remains unidentified, though it was sold by a local collector who chose to preserve their anonymity.