Medal commemorating the wreck of HMS Foudroyant, 1897; obverse. Repro ID: E4367-1 ©National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, LondonHMS Foudroyant was a third rate of 80 guns, laid down at Plymouth in 1789 and launched in March 1798. In June 1799 Lord Nelson shifted his flag to Foudroyant off Palermo until July 1800 when Sir Edward Berry took over command. She was present at the capture of the 80-gun Guillaume Tell in March 1800 and took part in the capture of the Belle Poule and Marengo in March 1806. Between 1807–12 HMS Foudroyant served on the Amercan Station after which she became a guardship at Devonport until 1892.

In 1892 she was sold to a German shipbreaker but Mr Wheatley Cobb bought her back, fitted her out, and sailed her round the coast. However, on the night of 15 June 1897 she was driven ashore off Blackpool. The timber and copper from the wreck was purchased by the firm of Goodhall, Lamb and Heighway Ltd of Manchester and used to make furniture and small souvenirs. Copper items were stamped with the registered number of 311490. The firm even published a catalogue of items available, but does not specifically mention the medallions.

There are number of these medallions in the National Maritime Museum's collections and other examples also appear fairly frequently. Over 25,000 were produced.