British Trade Tokens, Tickets and Passes, Numismatic Books including the David Griffiths Reference Library of Token Books

Miscellaneous, Engraved coin, a William III, Halfcrown, rev. engraved with three-masted ship sailing left, the glorious first of june above, 1794 below, obv. engraved h gibb queen in two lines divided by a plant pot, no edge, 33mm, 12.55g (Comfort –). Fine, very rare £300-500

Comfort only describes one engraved coin commemorating Earl Howe’s victory over the French fleet on 1 June 1794. HMS Queen, a 98-gun second rate of 1,876 tons, was launched at Woolwich in 1769. The vessel took part in the relief of Gibraltar in 1782-3 and, as the flagship of Admiral Alan Gardner (see his election token, lot 540), she led the van in the engagements that led up to the battle of 1 June 1794, closing with the Jemappes, a French man-of-war, and in the battle that followed disabled her, forcing the Jemappes to strike her flag in token of surrender. However, before the Jemappes could be taken as a prize, a full squadron of the French fleet swept down upon Queen fore and aft. Surrounded by the French men-of-war she was exposed to fierce fire from all quarters. Her captain, John Hutt, fell mortally wounded upon her quarterdeck and her first officer, Mr Mitchell, and 36 seamen also died while 67 seamen lay wounded on her decks. Disdaining the enemy's summons to surrender, the survivors fought back gallantly until finally Lord Howe's squadron came to the assistance of the Queen and drove off her attackers, although the vessel was seriously damaged. Sold with a transcript of a letter from Jno. Wilkinson, steward to the ward room on Queen, written from Spithead in July 1794, in which he describes the action, as well as further background information on the life of the ship, which was broken up in April 1821