Kill'd by the Indians at O'Why'Hee February 14 1779.

The kill'd by the indians medal. Struck soon after word of Capt. Cook's death reached England, the 'Kill'd by the Indians' medal was produced before the Resolution and Adventure returned to England in September 1780. This makes the medal one of the earliest artefacts associated with Cook's death, and one of the rarest. It has been graded R ('of the hightest rarity') by British Historical Medals, and only four other examples are known to numismatists, including one in the British Museum.

It is interesting to note the attempt at a transliteration of the native word for the Hawai'ian Islands, which quickly became Owhyhee, losing the apostrophes.

White metal medal (38.6mm); obverse uniformed bust of Cook three-quarter right, legend 'capt: james cook'; reverse inscription on four lines 'Kill'd by the Indians at O'Why'Hee February 14 1779', two oak branches in exergue; light hairlines, about uncirculated.

BHM 219.