On February 28th, 1653, Generals Blake, Deane, and Monk defeated the Dutch fleet under Admirals Van Tromp and De Rutzer, and after a three-days' fight defeated them off Portland. In this engagement soldiers served for the first time on board ship, and the Marines came into existence. At the beginning of June the Dutch admirals were again defeated by the English Generals Deane, Penn, and Monk; but although the English did not lose a ship, General Deane was killed in the action. The English then followed the Dutch to their own coasts, and on July 31st the enemy was badly beaten after a terrific fight in which they lost 26 ships, their Admiral, Van Tromp, and about 6,000 men. The English losses were 2 ships and 1,300 men killed and wounded. The English Parliament was not slow to reward the victors, for on August 8th it was resolved to award Generals Blake and Monk gold chains valued at £300 apiece; to Vice-Admiral Penn and Rear-Admiral Lawson chains of the value of £100, and to the four staff officers chains worth £40 each for their brilliant services. The money was ordered to be deducted from the £2,000 voted, and the balance spent in the issue of medals among the officers of the fleet. =Types of Medal.=--Four types of medal were issued. One with a broad border of naval trophies having on the obverse to left and right cartouches bearing the Arms of Holland and Zealand, and on the reverse in place thereof side drums. The obverse bears an anchor from the stock of which are suspended three elaborate shields bearing St. George's Cross, St. Andrew's Cross, the Irish Harp, and "the Armes of the Com̃on wealth." A cable attached to the anchor encircles the whole in a decorative manner. On the reverse is depicted a naval battle; a ship sinking in the foreground has on the stern the medallist's surname, and on the prow of another is T.S., while on the lower wing of the anchor on the obverse is the monogram T.S., so that Thomas Simon made quite sure that we should know who was responsible for the medal, which, with the elaborate border, is 2·2 in. by 2 in. with a ring for suspension. Three of the larger medals are known to be in existence. The medal given to the four staff officers was 2 in. by 1·8 in., and the obverse and reverse are the same; but the border on both sides is of laurel as the one illustrated. One of these medals, presented to Captain William Haddock, who commanded the "America," was purchased by Messrs. Spink at auction for £430 in May 1908; it had realised £105 in 1879. =Gold Medals for Officers.=--Gold medals with a plain border, but with the same obverse and reverse as those described, were given to officers of the fleet; and I might here remark that if a copy of this rare medal comes under the notice of collectors, they should look for the surname and initials, which forgers have generally overlooked. [Illustration: (Reverse.) THE WYARD MEDAL, 1650.] [Illustration: ARMADA MEDAL AWARDED TO LORD UPPINGHAM.]