1",7. (See Woodcut.)
MB. JR. Very rare.
This piece is cast and chased, and served as a badge. The
first Eddystone Lighthouse was completed in 1700, and utterly
destroyed by a terrific storm, 26 Nov. 1703. The second was
built in 1709, and destroyed by fire, 2 Dec. 1755. The first
398. Eddystone Lighthouse rebuilt.
stone of the third building was laid 12 June, 1757, and
finished by the hand of the architect himself, Smeaton, 18 .Sept.
1759. To prevent the seamen employed from being pressed,
Admiralty protections were granted, the mainsails of their ships
were marked with a view of the lighthouse, an,d each seaman
wore one of the above badges.
399. A m er ic a n I n d ia n B a d g e . 1757.
Bust of George II., I., laureate, hair long, in armour and
mantle. Leg. g eo r g iv s . i i . d e i . g r a t ia .
Rev. A European seated under a tree holds out the pipe of
Peace, adorned with wings, to an Indian who, seated opposite
to him, points to the meridian Sun; a fire between them.
Leg. l e t us lo o k to t h e most h ig h w h o b l e s s e d our
FATHERS WITH PEACE. Ex. 1757.
1’75. Weyl, Cat. Fonrob. Samm. p. 418.
MB. Jit. Very rare.
When the rupture took place with France in 1756, England
formed alliances with several chiefs of the American Indians,
who were presented with specimens of this medal, which they
wore with great ostentation. With the Indians the feathers of
the swan and the wild-goose, and the wings of those birds, are
emblems of peace, and each person at a negotiation takes in
turn three deliberate whiffs of a pipe adorned with such feathers
or wings before the business is commenced. The Sun, its
appearance and its course, are very frequent subjects of solemn
reference and appeal in their discussions.
400. V ic to r y o f P la s sy . 23 June, 1757.
Victory, bearing a trophy and a palm branch, is mounted
upon an elephant to left. Leg. v i c t o r y . a t . p l a s s y . c l i v e .
c om m a n d e r . E x . m d c c l v i i i . s o c . p . a . c . (Society for Promoting
Arts and Commerce.)
Rev. Clive, habited as a Roman general, holds a sceptre surmounted
by a lion in his left hand, and with his right presents
to Meer Jaafar another sceptre surmounted by a dolphin;
between them is a globe, a rudder, and a cornucopia. Leg.
INI VRIES ATTONED . PRIVILEGE . AVGMENTED . TERRITORY. ACQVIRED.
Ex. A . SOVBAH . GIVEN . TO . BENGAL . MDCCLVIII.
1*55. The Student’s Hume, p. 617.
MB. J t. M. Not rare.
As one encouragement to art, the Society for Promoting Arts
and Commerce resolved to strike medals occasionally in commemoration
of historical events. The first was this one upon
the battle of Plassy, 23 June, 1757, when Clive utterly defeated
Surajah Dowlah, Nabob of Bengal, whereby the injuries he
had inflicted upon Calcutta and its unfortunate garrison were
atoned, and a considerable territory round Calcutta was vested
in the East India Company. Meer Jaafar was appointed
successor to Surajah Dowlah, and declared Soobah of Bengal,
Behar, and Orissa. This medal was not struck till the following
year, and is the work of Thomas Pingo.