Betts-574
1781 Escape of the Dutch Fishing Fleet Medal
Obverse Text: TER BEVEYLIGING VAN SCHEPEN EN VOLK | IACOB VAN DER | WINT | C | H
Reverse Text: 1780 | DEN 29 DEC : | VAN | VLAARDING | UYT GEZEILT | OM ONSE VLOOT VAN | DEN OORLOG KENNIS | TE GEVEN • EN OP TE | ONTBIEDE • | BEHOUDE BINNE | GEKOOMEN | DEN XI • JAN : | 1781 | A • V • B
Catalog Reference
V.L. Sup. 554
This medal commemorates the arrival of Jacob Van der Wint and his sailboat De Roode Roos (the Red Rose) at the Doggersbank in the North Sea, where the Dutch fishing fleet lay unaware that England had just declared war on the Netherlands. Van de Wint (also spelled Van de Windt) was something of a Dutch Paul Revere, letting the fishermen know that the British were coming and allowing them to return safely to port in January 1781. This medal is actually known with two different reverses. Reverse 1 is identifiable by the letter A directly under 7 of the date. Reverse 2 shows the A to the left of the base of the 7. The example shown to the left is Reverse 2.
