British Commemorative Medals - Elizabeth II - Commemorative Medal Obverse Die 1953 A.D. or later

Steel obverse medal die (incuse and reversed). Obv: profile bust with ELIZABETH II legend and stars. 255 grams, medal 28mm diameter.

Extremely fine.

Property of R W M collector.

No commemorative medal from this die has been traced so there is no information as to the event being celebrated although the youthful portrait suggests that the 1953 coronation is perhaps likely; it may be a pattern type that was not issued.

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.