Commissioned by the Royal Society following Cook's death, this is the rare silver issue: one of only 322. News of Cook's death in Hawai'i in 1779 reached the Royal Society in the following year, and Sir Joseph Banks set about ensuring that Cook was memorialised through the commissioning of this medal and the publication of the official account of his Third Voyage. The medal was engraved by Lewis Pingo (1743-1830), who succeeded his father Thomas as Assistant Engraver at the Royal Mint in 1776.

Fellows of the Royal Society were entitled to a bronze medal, a total of 577 of which were struck, but an additional 22 medals were struck in gold and 322 in silver (as here).

Silver medal, 43 mm in diameter. Obverse: bust of Cook in relief with the legend 'Iac. Cook Oceani Investigator acerrimus' (the most intrepid investigator of the seas); reverse: full-length portrait of Britannia, her shield resting by her side, and the legend 'Nil intentatum Nostri Liquere' (our men have left nothing unattempted) and 'Auspiciis George III' in exergue.

Beddie, 2790; Nan Kivell, Portraits of the Famous and Infamous, p72.