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1 of 253523 objects
Medal commemorating Captain James Cook 1784
Gold commemorative medal | 4.34 cm (diameter of a coin/medal) | RCIN 443312
Lewis Pingo (1743-1832)
Medal commemorating Captain James Cook 1784
Lewis Pingo (1743-1832)
Medal commemorating Captain James Cook 1784
Lewis Pingo (1743-1832)
Medal commemorating Captain James Cook 1784



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This medal was commissioned by the Royal Society in recognition of Captain Cook's services to science and exploration. During a distinguished Naval career, he developed skills in surveying and in astronomy, and was an excellent choice for the expedition to the Pacific, to make precise observations of the transit of Venus in 1769, giving the necessary data for mapping the solar system. His three voyages over the decade up till his death in Hawaii in 1779 led to his charting many of the coastlines around the Pacific with remarkable accuracy, and he pioneered the use of fresh fruit to combat the scurvy which tended to exact a severe toll among the ship's crew. This is one of the small number of examples of this medal struck in gold, for presentation to royalty.
Provenance
One of thirteen specimens struck in gold and presumably that presented to King George III by the Royal Society
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Creator(s)
(medallist)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Gold commemorative medal
Measurements
4.34 cm (diameter of a coin/medal)
41.42 g (Weight) (whole object)
Object type(s)
Alternative title(s)
Memorial to Captain Cook.