ADMIRAL WILLIAM WALDEGRAVE'S VICTORY MEDAL

 

The London goldsmith James Morisset is known to have made five two-colour gold boxes granting freedom of the City of London to naval heroes. Two of them are now in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich but that issued to Admiral William Waldegrave, First Baron Radstock (1753-1825), was offered at Christie's as part of the Exceptional Sale on July 6.

The enamelled scene to the lid of this box shows the moment Jervis in HMS Victory, closely supported by Waldegrave in the Barfleur, approached the Spanish ship Salvadore del Mundo and poured a broadside into its hull.

Additional battle scenes decorate the sides alongside the arms of the city of London, the arms of Waldegrave and the monogram WW.

 

When it was last offered by a direct descendant at Christie's in 1991, the box was followed to the rostrum by two related items: an inscribed gold ‘victory' medal to a design by engraver Lewis Pingo and two illuminated vellum documents, one appointing Waldegrave as Governor of Newfoundland, the other addressed to Waldegrave as first Baron Radstock, confirming to his wife Cornelia Jacoba the arms of Radstock and Van Lennep.

At the time the three items were bought by the same buyer and they will remain together after being offered as a single lot 32 years later.

Estimated at £70,000- 100,000, the trio attracted many admirers as both a tour-de-force of English goldsmithing and a little piece of naval history. The last lot of the day, it took £190,000 (plus 27% buyer's premium) from a phone bidder.

To read the complete article, see:
Pick of the week: Well done to naval hero Waldegrave (https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/print-edition/2023/july/2602/news-digest/pick-of-the-week-well-done-to-naval-hero-waldegrave/)

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