HORNREICH COLLECTION of World and U.S. Historical Medals Including So-Called Dollars
BHM-231 WM, Capture of St. Eustatius by Rodney

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Medal, 1781, WM, CAPTURE OF ST. EUSTATIUS, Great Britain/U.S. Revolutionary War, BHM-231 White Metal. NGC MS63, Cert# 3504352-005. Obv. Uniformed bust of G. B. (George Brydges) RODNEY, right, wearing tricorne hat; Rv. Nine Line Inscription, The / Glorious Memo. / of the 3r of Feb.1781 / When He Severely / Punished the Dutch / Upwards of 3 Millions / Of Value With 300 / Sail of Ships, Star, design below. The Capture of St. Eustatius took place in February 1781 during the American War of Independence when British army and naval forces under General John Vaughan and Admiral George Rodney seized the Dutch-owned Caribbean island of St. Eustatius. The capture was controversial in Britain, as it was alleged that Vaughan and Rodney had used the opportunity to enrich themselves and had neglected more important military duties. The island was subsequently taken by Dutch-allied French forces in late 1781, ending the British occupation. St. Eustatius was the center of Dutch trade and used both for the shipment of arms to the American colonists and for the victualing of French ships. In the autumn of 1780, when the Dutch joined the coalition against Great Britain, Admiral Rodney was ordered to seize the island. He appeared there with twelve ships on 3 February 1781 and, after a fierce engagement, succeeded in capturing it. A large quantity of munitions and merchandise consigned to General George Washington for the American cause was taken along with some 150 merchant ships, a sum totaling around £3 million. On account of this seizing, Rodney and his colleague, General Vaughan, were vilified by the Dutch, who even compared them to a contemporary Nero and Caligula.