British, Italian and World Coins, Commemorative Medals, Numismatic Books

India, Botanical Society of Bengal (Est. 1935), a locally-made uniface silver award medal, unsigned, wreath, back named (Prof. S.M. Sircar Memorial Medal awarded to Prof. N.W. Pirie, F.R.S.), 52mm (Pudd. –). Fine to very fine, very rare; with clip and ring for suspension £50-70

Sourinda Mohan Sircar (1908-78), a pioneer of plant physiological research in India, spent most of his career at Calcutta University, initially as a lecturer and later as chair of botany. The recipient, Norman Wingate Pirie (1907-97), b. Midhurst, biochemist and virologist, claimed to be the grandfather of the contraceptive pill in relation to the work he did in association with Gregory Pincus (1903-67). The award of the medal was related to work Pirie undertook in making liquid protein in the wetter area of West Bengal. Sold with much further biographical detail