Old Sails: Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

This is one of my favorite jettons.
   It is a broad, thin piece (only 6g) that is fully struck and nicely centered. This one was obviously cared for and passed from collector to collector. I feel lucky to have it, even though it is a common design. But of course, all Spanish Armada jettons are popular, so get them when you can.
   For the ship lover, this one is hard to beat as it features two sixteenth century warships in the heat of battle. The engraving is crisp and balanced. The high fore- and aft-castles are detailed and accurately depict the distinctive form of the mighty galleons.
   The ship on the right is on the offensive, cannons firing with smoke billowing out. It is on a starboard tack, broadside facing the enemy vessel. The other ship has taken evasive action with sails oddly reversed, bow nearly into the wind. What a great action shot!
   We can only guess which ship is the Spanish one.

   Nearly 150 ships left Lisbon at the end of May of 1588 to invade England. They entered the English channel in July after struggling against foul winds and harsh waves. The English launched a series of attacks, but they were careful not to get close enough for the Spanish to board. As such, the English strategy was long-range cannon fire.
   When the Spanish anchored, several fireships were sent out and eventually the Spanish fleet retreated in August by sailing north around Scotland. Tragically, many of the galleons were sunk in the raging seas. It was a devastating blow to the Spanish fleet. The heavy losses were interpreted as an act of God.
   The legend on the jetton summarizes this saga: VENIT + IVIT + FVIT. This translates to: "It came; it went away; it came to nothing." The caption beneath the ships reads: CLASSIS-HISP; this labels the ships as coming from Spain.
   The obverse legend (not shown) has the familiar phrase: GLORIA SOLI DEO or Glory to God Alone. This underscores the belief that God's hand was responsible for the loss of the Spanish fleet.
   I imagine that this jetton was quite popular in its time. It was a significant event that was widely known. An invasion was foiled by nature. What a storyline. Now, four-hundred plus years later, this piece is in my hands (for a while anyway); I find it quite amazing to ponder.