British Commemorative Medals - Elizabeth II - 1953 - Coronation Medal Hub and Die Pair [2]

Steel master hub and die pair for coronation medal obverse. Obv: proud and incuse three-quarter facing bust; the hub with incuse punched number S2 to base and the die with same number to side. 782 grams total, medal face 38 mm.

Extremely fine. Very rare.

Property of R W M collector.

This matching pair of steel master bust hub and incuse die (before the addition of a legend) would have been used for the making of medals to celebrate the coronation.

Obv: facing bearded head with gibberish legend. Rev: heraldic arms quartered with four annulets, a sword, three chevrons and diagonally striped. 10.15 grams, 26mm.

Very fine. This type and module not listed by Mernick; rare.

Acquired M J Bowman Auctions, lot 81. Property of a Kent gentleman.

William Smith and Charles Eaton created fantasy antiquities supposedly found in the river Thames silts, especially during the construction of the new docks at Shadwell. Using chalk moulds the cast a wide variety of medallions, pendants and other objects in a lead alloy or lateen (a crude brass alloy) which were treated with chemicals to give them a realistic patination. They typically depict bearded heads or armoured figures in combination with unintelligible inscriptions using letters of a characteristic form. When they first started to appear, they were widely accepted as genuine and it took some while before they were finally condemned as fantasises.

Obv: profile bust with PETRVS GYRON OSS DVX E VRENIAE COM X legend. Rev: rearing horse with PRIMVS ET IRE VIAM 1618 legend. 26.12 grams, 44 mm.

Fair. Rare; possibly a later cast.

Acquired Bristol Auctions. Property of a Kent gentleman.