153, Lot: 298. Estimate $75. Sold for $260. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of three Medals. Æ 33mm. Dated 1783. Loss of the warship Royal George / Lifting of the Siege of Gibraltar. Eimer 800 // Æ 39mm. Dated 1871. Matthew Boulton and James Watt. Brown 2922 // Gibraltar. Brass 39mm. Dated 1969. Constitution of Gibraltar. Average VF.

The Spanish unsuccessfully besieged the British position on Gibraltar for five years (1779-1783). The warship Royal George was assigned to guide a convoy to the blockaded port in August 1782. She put into Portsmouth harbor for much-needed repairs, including replacement of a pump valve. The valve was below the waterline, and rather than do a time-consuming drydock, it was decided to move all the ship’s cannon to one side of the ship, heeling her over enough to reach the valve. The ship heeled over too far, took on water through the lower gunports, and sank with the loss of almost 1000 lives, seamen and workers, including Rear-Admiral Kempenfeldt.