Big MEDALLION Made from COPPER salvaged from the wreck of Admiral Horatio NELSON's FIRST and ORIGINAL flagship = the H.M.S. FOUDROYANT

This example is in SUPERB CONDITION and has NOT had a hole drilled through it as SO MANY that I have seen tragically DO HAVE

Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte KB (29 Sept 18 Sept 1758 – 21 Oct 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy

His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy & unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French Revolutionary & Napoleonic Wars

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest naval commanders in history

History lessons at school are where we learn that Admiral Horatio Nelson won the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 in his famous flagship HMS Victory.

But what we are not taught is that Admiral Nelson had another flagship before the HMS Victory - which ended its days off Blackpool's North Pier.

HMS Foudroyant was an 80-gun third rate of the Royal Navy, one of only two British-built 80-gun ships of the period (the other was HMS Caesar)

Foudroyant was built in the dockyard at Plymouth Dock (a.k.a. Devonport) and launched on 31 March 1798.

Foudroyant served Nelson as his flagship from 6 June 1799 until the end of June 1800

Foudroyant had a long and successful career, and although she was not involved in any major fleet action, she did provide invaluable service to numerous admirals throughout her 17 years on active service

In her last years she became a training vessel for boys

Her designer was Sir John Henslow

She was named after the 80-gun Foudroyant, which Swiftsure & Monmouth, both 70-gun ships, & Hampton Court (64 guns), had captured from the French on 28 Feb 1758

Foudroyant was a one-off design. She followed French practice of favouring large 2-decked, third rates mounting 80 guns rather than the typical British preference for building 3-decked second-rate ships mounting 98 guns