Lord Nelson wearing large gold medals for St. Vincent and the Nile. With a later posthumous award for Trafalgar, he was the sole recipient of three large gold medals.Admiral Sir Charles Knowles wearing a small gold medal for St. Vincent, where he commanded HMS Goliath.
The Naval Gold Medal was awarded between 1793 and 1815 to senior officers of the Royal Navy for specified actions.
Two different sizes were struck. 22 large medals were awarded to flag officers (admirals), commodores and captains of the fleet. 117 smaller medals were awarded to captains.[1] As a separate medal was awarded for each action, it was possible for a recipient to receive and wear more than one.[2]
Awards of the gold medal were discontinued after 1815, as would-be recipients became eligible for the Order of the Bath on its enlargement to three classes.[3]
Appearance
Size: The large medal has a diameter of 2 inches (51 mm), and the small medal 1.3 inches (33 mm).[3] Medals were mounted in a gold frame, glazed on both sides.[4]
Obverse: Britannia holding a spear and standing on the prow of an ancient galley, being crowned with a laurel wreath by a figure of Victory. Behind is an oval shield charged with the Union Flag.[4]
Reverse: Engraved with the rank and name of the recipient, and the event and date for which the medal was awarded. The large medal has a surround of a wreath of oak and laurel.[4]
Ribbon: White with dark blue edges, 1.75 inches (44 mm) wide for the large medal and 1.5 inches (38 mm) for the small.[4] In 1847, this ribbon was used for the Naval General Service Medal.[5]
Suspension: Large medals had a ring suspension for wear around the neck. Small medals were worn on the left chest by way of a straight bar suspender, normally from a buttonhole.[4] Six of the large medals awarded for the Glorious First of June were presented suspended from a gold chain.[1]
Awards
The coat of arms of the 1st Viscount Duncan was augmented with the Naval Gold Medal after his victory at the battle of Camperdown
Following the Battle of the Glorious First of June 1794, the Naval Gold Medal was instituted to reward those admirals and captains who had been conspicuous for courage in that action, as well as those who might distinguish themselves on future occasions.[6]
In spite of representations made by Lord Nelson, no medal was authorised for the Battle of Copenhagen, due to concerns that it may offend the Danes.[1]
Recipients surviving until 1847 were entitled to apply for the Naval General Service Medal with the appropriate clasps.[3]
Gold Medals were issued by the Admiralty for the following actions.[4] Only selected captains received a medal for the Glorious First of June,[7] otherwise all captains or acting captains were recipients.
^Only awarded to captains specifically mentioned in Lord Howe’s report. See article on Lord Collingwood, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Vol 12, page 673
Royal Navy (1850). The Navy List. H.M. Stationery Office. OCLC1604131. Contains (pp. 295–302) a complete list of medals awarded between 1793–1847.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004) Oxford University Press. ISBN0198613873 Contains biographies of most recipients of the Naval Gold Medal.
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