Great Britain, Royal Geographical Society, silver Scott Memorial medal, 1913, by Bowcher, Robert Falcon Scott almost facing, reverse polar scene with five figures, the Discovery in background, 55mm, 88.6 gms (cf. Poulsom p. 87; BHM 4101). Choice extremely fine, important and rare, matt finish (£140-180)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bruce Hagen Collection of Polar Medals.

View
Collection

Brown, BHM p. 99, state “the medal was presented in silver to officers and scientific staff and in bronze to the crew of the Terra Nova. The specimen in gold is in possession of the Royal Geographical Society. Frank Bowcher seems to have worked almost exclusively for Spink, who almost certainly struck this medal at their factory.

Bowcher’s choice for the reverse is an interesting one. It shows Scott and the four men who met their deaths (Lieutenant Henry Bowers, Petty Officer Edward Evans, Lawrence Oates and Edward Wilson). The five men on skis is uncharacteristic of Scott’s opinion on the proper mode of polar travel. The British tradition of polar travel which was a man hauling through the deep and dangerous crevasse-lined landscape with hundreds of pounds of supplies as best he could. Skiing and dogs were not his first choice and skiing was finally accepted by Scott after seeing a wealthy young Norwegian, Trygve Gran, while on a supply trip to Norway before his 1912 expedition. Unfortunately for Scott he did not choose Gran for his South Polar party. If he had done so (and left one other man at camp, having four men instead of five) he may have beaten Amundsen to the pole and also lived. Had that happened, Scott of the Antarctic would not have become such a powerful part of polar exploration lore.