Daniel Solander was a Swedish Botanist who became a key figure in Captain CookÂ’s momentous first voyage to the South Seas. During the voyage Sir Joseph Banks and Solander collected and named over 1400 plant species. After the voyage, Solander remained in close touch with Banks and Cook, who named Cape Solander, New South Wales, after him. The medal was made in Sweden, and dedicated to Sir Joseph Banks, in recognition of their years and work together. The plant depicted on the medal was named solandra in honour of SolanderÂ’s extraordinary contribution to natural history.

Provenance

John Chapman, Melbourne; Noble Numismatics, 2009; Hordern House, Australia. The work has been vetted by the Art Loss Register.