The Battle of the Nile was regarded by contemporaries as the greatest naval victory in British history, so much so that Alexander Davison - Nelson's Prize Agent and close friend - decided to commission and pay for a medal with which to reward every man who had been present. Manufactured by Matthew Boulton at his Soho Mint in Birmingham and struck in various metals from gold to bronze - depending on the rank of the recipient - this was the very first occasion on which a medal was presented to every man who had taken part in a military or naval victory. The concept of the State rewarding a fighting man was still in the future and may well have been prompted by Davison's action in 1798. Examples of the silver medals were given to Lieutenants and Warrant Officers.