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This medal has been minted in 1823 in France to commemorate the Maltese Knight, A. H. de Costentin, comte de TOURVILLE, 1642 - 1701.
This medal has been designed by the French medalist J. A. PINGRETT.
Anne Hilarion de Costentin, comte de Tourville (1642 – 23
May 1701) was a French naval commander who served
under King Louis
XIV.
The
Order of Knights Hospitaller are also known as the Sovereign Military
Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Order of St. John, Knights
of Malta, and Chevaliers de
Malte; Italian:
Cavalieri dell'Ordine dell'Ospedale di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme or Cavalieri
di Malta, French:
Ordre des Hospitaliers, Maltese:
Ordni ta’ San Ġwann.
av. A. H. de
Costetin de Tourville
rv. The Latininscription
diameter - 41 mm, (1.61“)
weight – 40.20 gr,
(1.42 oz)
metal - bronze, gold plated
At
25, he joined the French Royal Navy and
started an active career, fighting the 1673 campaign of the Franco-Dutch War on the Sans-Pareil,
at the Battle
of Agosta where he was in command of the Syrene, and later in
command of the Sceptre.
He
served under Abraham
Duquesne during the campaigns of 1676, and became a commander in
1690 during the War
of the Grand Alliance. He put his flag on the Soleil-Royal,
where it would stay until the battle
of La Hougue in 1692. At the Battle
of Beachy Head (Victoire de Béveziers), he defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet, sinking and
capturing 15 enemy ships.
On
29 May 1692, at Barfleur,
with only 45 ships, he inflicted heavy losses on a 97-ship strong English and
Dutch fleet but was forced to retreat. He himself suffered heavy losses after
the battle when fire ships
attacked the French ships of the line immobilised for repairs in Cherbourg.
On
27 June 1693, he defeated a convoy of 59 English ships commanded by George Rooke at Cape St. Vincent near Lagos Bay in Portugal, during the Battle
of Cape St. Vincent.
Tourville
retired after the Peace
of Ryswick and died in
A
number of French
naval vessels from the 18th through 20th centuries were named in
Tourville's honour.