Medal Siege of Louisbourg; gold

A magnificent historical artifact, awarded to one of the main figures in a battle which was the first domino to fall on the path to Great Britain's total conquest of Canada. Admiral Boscawen himself presented gold medals to his captains; his specimen is now in the ANS, and the dies are said to be retained by his family. We know of just four specimens of this medal that have been seen in the present day. Eimer also cites a gold specimen in the British Museum.

Perhaps the most historic and most majestically engraved of the conflict, the 1758 Louisbourg Taken medal holds a special place in this collection: rather than being just a simple commemorative medal, it also served as a military decoration, awarded to recognize service, worn, and displayed. The designs of this medal by Thomas Pingo are evocative, well-rendered, and historically accurate. The obverse legend "Partier in Bella" translates to "together in war," celebrating the unusually good cooperation between the army (symbolized by the standing grenadier) and the navy, evoked by the sailor with traditional Jack Tar hat. They gesture towards Louisbourg on a map that shows the extent of the American front, from Cuba to the Maritimes to the interior of the continent. The globe crushes a defeated France, shown in an exposed feminine form, her fleur-de-lis upside down and cast out of reach to the ground, barely hanging on to the edge of the continent. Fame blows victory on a trumpet of triumph. The reverse shows, in fairly accurate detail, the geography of Louisbourg Harbor, the position of the batteries, and the final cataclysm of the battle, the burning of the Prudent while the town remained under heavy fire over the night of July 25-26, 1758.
Any Betts medal in gold is special. Perhaps none surpass the Louisbourg Taken in importance, majesty, and historicity. 43.8 mm, 786.9 grains.
Ex: Peter Winkworth, via Chris Eimer (1/2004)
From The John W. Adams Collection of French and Indian War Medals.