Captain Hardy’s Reward for gallantry, 1805, awarded to Midshipman John Lyons.

John Lyons was born in London and entered the Royal Navy in 1798. He served on board HMS ‘Victory’ as a Midshipman at the Battle of Trafalgar and was promoted to Lieutenant the same year. He was promoted to the rank of Commander in 1814 and Captain in 1830. Lyons rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the retired list in 1866 and died in 1872.

The medal is silver with a foul anchor engraved within a laurel wreath on the obverse. ‘Order of Merit’ is inscribed left and right of the anchor. Below, in three curved lines is the inscription ‘HMS VICTORY. Established by Capt.T M Hardy. Reward for gallantry’. On the reverse is the inscription, ‘John Lyons Midsm Octbr 21st 1805’.