Orders, Decorations and Medals

Glorious First of June 1794, engraved coin, a William III Halfcrown, rev. engraved with three-masted ship sailing left, ‘The Glorious Firft of June’ above, ‘1794’ below, obv. engraved ‘H. Gibb. Queen’ in two lines divided by a potted plant, a salmon above, plain edge, 33mm, 12.55g (Comfort -), fine and very rare £300-400

Comfort only describes one engraved coin commemorating Earl Howe’s victory over the French fleet on 1 June 1794. H.M.S. 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, 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.