A rare Captain Cook medal is set to be auctioned off in Wiltshire.

The brass medal, one of only 2,000 made in 1772, is expected to fetch at least £2,000 at RWB Auctions in Royal Wootton Bassett.

It was commissioned by Sir Joseph Banks for Cook's second voyage to find the southern continent, Terra Australis.

The medals were handed out to locals in more than 30 places Cook visited, including Tahiti and New Zealand.

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They were designed to show that Cook had been there first and to introduce native people to King George III, whose portrait is on the medal.

RWB Auctions’ head auctioneer, Gareth Wasp, said: "This is a very rare medal, with only 2,000 known to have been made back in 1772.

"The link to the voyages of Captain Cook is sure to attract bids from collectors of Cook memorabilia as well as those interested in commemorative medals."

The medal, which shows the ships HMS Resolution and HMS Adventure, will be sold on Wednesday, December 4.

It is not known who the medal was originally given to, but it is being sold by a local collector who wants to stay anonymous.

People wanting more information should visit the RWB Auctions website.