Gold Medal awarded to General Sir John Moore, 1809

Napoleonic Generals, unlike their counterparts today, had to lead their men directly from the battlefield and had to be seen to be in the thick of the action. This explains why so many senior officers, from both sides, were killed or wounded during the Peninsular War (1808-1814).

Lieutenant General Sir John Moore (1761-1809) was a commander of British troops during that campaign. He had taken command following the removal of General Sir Harry Burrard for his signing of the Convention of Cintra in 1808. When Napoleon arrived in Spain with 200,000 soldiers, Moore withdrew northwards to the port of Corunna. There he fought a skillful rearguard battle on 16 January 1809 that kept the French from attacking his embarking army. Moore was mortally wounded during the engagement and buried in the ramparts of the town. His French counterpart, Marshal Soult, was so impressed by Moore that he ordered a monument erected to his fallen foe as a sign of respect. This rare gold medal belonged to Moore and was only awarded to general officers. It is engraved with the words 'CORUNNA 1809'.