Captain Cook medal bought at car boot sale for £25 sells for £5,000 at auction

A bronze medal from the 18th Century commemorating the death of Captain James Cook has fetched £5,000 at auction after being picked up for just £25 at a car boot sale in West Yorkshire.

The remarkable find was purchased by the Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby, where it will become part of a new exhibition celebrating three centuries since the famous explorer's birth in 1728.

The seller had originally acquired the piece among a collection of medals spanning several centuries, paying £25 for the entire box.

Richard Kornicki, chairman of trustees at the museum, explained where visitors will be able to view the historic piece.

"It will be displayed in the harbourside building where the young James Cook lived as an apprentice," he said.

The Whitby museum holds particular significance in Captain Cook's story, as the Yorkshire coastal town was where the navigator spent his formative years learning his trade before embarking on his legendary expeditions.

The medal's acquisition represents a notable addition to the institution's collection ahead of the tercentenary celebrations.

The bronze medal is exceptionally scarce, with museum records showing just two other known examples held in collections at Greenwich and Sydney.

Will Dobbins, coin specialist at Tennants Auctioneers, who handled the sale, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome.

"We are delighted that such a rare medal is heading for a new home in the Captain Cook Museum," he said.

He added: "It will be exhibited alongside rare and fascinating material to celebrate the anniversary of such a key figure in British history."

Captain Cook died in 1779 during a confrontation with native Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay.

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The explorer had set sail from Plymouth aboard HM Bark Endeavour in August 1768, beginning what would prove to be a three-year voyage of discovery.

This marked the first of three major expeditions for Captain Cook, during which he would circle the globe twice.

His journeys significantly expanded scientific and cultural knowledge of the world, documenting new peoples, places and plant species while also advancing astronomical understanding through observations such as the Transit of Venus from Tahiti.

The Royal Mint has also previously honoured Captain Cook's legacy through a series of commemorative coins.

Between 2018 and 2020, the Mint released three coins featuring designs by sculptor Gary Breeze, which together form a single complete image depicting the story of Captain Cook's voyages.

The first coin ever struck to commemorate the explorer was produced in 1928, marking two centuries since his birth.

A subsequent coin featuring Captain Cook or one of his vessels did not appear until 1967.

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the landing of Captain Cook on Norfolk Island in 1774, a medallion was produced in 2024.

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