| Naval Gold Medal | |
| Presenter: | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Type: | Campaign medal |
| Eligibility: | Admirals and captains, Royal Navy |
| Awarded For: | Command in battle |
| Campaign: | French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars 1793–1814 Anglo-American War of 1812 |
| Clasps: | None |
| Established: | 1794 |
| Total Awarded: | 22 large and 117 small medals |
The Naval Gold Medal was awarded between 1793 and 1815 to senior officers of the Royal Navy for specified actions.
Two different sizes were struck. 22 large medals were awarded to flag officers (admirals), commodores and captains of the fleet. 117 smaller medals were awarded to captains.[1] As a separate medal was awarded for each action, it was possible for a recipient to receive and wear more than one.[2]
Awards of the gold medal were discontinued after 1815, as would-be recipients became eligible for the Order of the Bath on its enlargement to three classes.
Following the Battle of the Glorious First of June 1794, the Naval Gold Medal was instituted to reward those admirals and captains who had been conspicuous for courage in that action, as well as those who might distinguish themselves on future occasions.[5]
In spite of representations made by Lord Nelson, no medal was authorised for the Battle of Copenhagen, due to concerns that it may offend the Danes.[1]
Recipients surviving until 1847 were entitled to apply for the Naval General Service Medal with the appropriate clasps.[6]
Gold Medals were issued by the Admiralty for the following actions.[3] Only selected captains received a medal for the Glorious First of June,[7] otherwise all captains or acting captains were recipients.
| Action | Date | Large Medals | Small Medals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Revolutionary Wars | 1793–1802 | – | – | |
| Battle of the Glorious First of June | 1 June 1794 | 8 | 17 | |
| Battle of Cape St Vincent | 14 February 1797 | 6 | 15 | |
| Battle of Camperdown | 11 October 1797 | 2 | 15 | |
| Battle of the Nile | 1 August 1798 | 1 | 14 | |
| Recapture of by | 25 October 1799 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1803–1815 | – | – | ||
| Battle of Trafalgar | 21 October 1805 | 3 | 27 | |
| Battle of Cape Ortegal | 4 November 1805 | 0 | 4 | |
| Battle of San Domingo | 6 February 1806 | 2 | 8 | |
| Capture of the island of Curaçao by | 1 January 1807 | 0 | 4 | |
| Capture of Turkish frigate Badere Zaffere by | 5-6 July 1808 | 0 | 1 | |
| Capture of French frigate Thétis by | 10 November 1808 | 0 | 1 | |
| Capture of French frigate Furieuse by | 6 July 1809 | 0 | 1[8] | |
| Capture of Banda Neira | 9 August 1810 | 0 | 1[9] | |
| 13 March 1811 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Capture of the French ship of the line Rivoli by | 22 February 1812 | 0 | 1 | |
| Capture of the French frigate Étoile by HMS Hebrus | 27 March 1814 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1812–1815 | – | – | ||
| Capture of USS Chesapeake by | 1 June 1813 | 0 | 1 | |
| Capture of USS President by | 15 January 1815 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 22 | 117 |
Only three Naval officers earned three gold medals:[10]
Other selected awards are listed below:
Large Gold Medal
Small Gold Medal