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Great Britain - 1812

Campagnes de Wellington sur la Péninsule - 2nd

Obverse:

Laureate, uniformed bust of the Duke of Wellington, left.

Legend:

HISPANIAM ET LVSITANIAM RESTITVIT WELLINGTON. (Wellington restored Spain and Portugal).

Size:

28 mm.

Reverse:

Inscription within linear circle CUIDAD / RODRIGO / JAN . 19 . 1812 / BADAJOZ / APRIL 2 . 1812 . / SALAMANCA / JULY . 22 . 1812 . / &c.&c.&c.

Legend:

VIMIERA AUG 21 . 1808 . TALAVERA JULY 28 . 1809 . ALMEIDA MAY 5 . 1811*

Vern's Comments:

This is the second example of this medal on the site. It's very common and very inexpensive to acquire. It is a minor variation of the other including a button on the coat where the other is missing one.

Bramsen:

Bramsen - 1177
Campagnes de Wellington sur la Péninsule

Comme celui de la précédente.

Rev: VIMIERA AUG 21. 1808. TALAVERA JULY 28. 1809. ALMEIDA MAY 5. 1811 * . Dans le champ: CIUDAD RODRIGO JAN. 19. 1812. BADAJOZ APRIL 2. 1812. SALAMANCA JULY 22. 1812 & c. & c. & c.

Médaille, 26 mm. - Inédite; cabinet de l'auteur.

The previous obverse had been described as follows:

HISPANIUM ET LVSITANIUM RESTITVIT WELLINGTON. Buste lauré, à gauche.

d'Essling:

d'Essling - 1386
Campagne de Wellington sur la Péninsule

Buste lauré, à g.

R. CIUDAD RODRIGO, etc.

(App. 4234 - B. 1176 et 1177) Arg. et br. 26 mm. 2 var.

BHM:

AR, AE 28 by ?
AR R; AE N
BM; NMA.

In 1807 a joint Franco-Spanish ultimatum had been delivered to the Portuguese demanding that they close their ports to Britain and declare war against her. On the 30th November General Junot at the head of a French army entered Lisbon and French and Spanish troops occupied key fortresses. By March 1808 the French had taken over the government of Spain. In May, a delegation from Spain asked for British help and were supplied with arms and money. It was on the 20th July that Wellesley landed at Corunna.

The war lasted from 1808 until 1814 and was really only one phase in the wars with France that had lasted from 1793 until 1815. In 1808 Sir Arthur Wellesley took command in Portugal and was created Viscount Wellington in 1809. He was successively created Earl, in 1812, Marquis 1812, and Duke in 1814. Wellington's avowed aim was 'the absolute evacuation of the Peninsular by the troops of France'.

from British Historical Medals, Volume 1, p. 180