Famed explorer Sir Francis Drake became the second person to complete a circumnavigation of the globe from 1577 to 1580. He was bested only by Ferdinand Magellan, who was killed during his voyage, although his crew completed the journey without him.

In 1579, Drake’s vessel, the Golden Hind, made landfall on the western coast of South America. The Spanish fleets in Chile were caught off guard and Francis Drake plundered their ships. He pursued additional Spanish gallons North and landed in modern-day California. There he staked a claim for the land and returned to Plymouth, England as a hero. Queen Elizabeth I was so impressed with Francis Drake’s bounty that she knighted him aboard his ship and presented him with a star and jewel bearing her portrait. All-in-all, Sir Francis Drake captured so much treasure that its value surpassed the Queen’s annual income.

While it cannot be fully confirmed, there is a belief that 9 original Sir Francis Drake medals were produced. Here is the running census of known medals:

• British Museum — Two in the collection
• Library of Congress — Two in the collection
• National Maritime Museum (Greenwich, England) — Two in the collection
• Yale University — One in the collection
• State Library of New South Wales in Australia — One in the collection
• Descendants of Sir Francis Drake — One

The National Maritime Museum commissioned the Danbury Mint to produce restrikes in 1978. These restrikes are 78.84 grams of 0.925 fine Sterling Silver. The restrikes are the only collectible versions of Betts-9, as all others are impounded in institutional collections and would likely exceed $1,000,000 if ever offered on the fair market.