Commemorative, Historical and Art Medals

Dublin Exhibition, 1853, a hollow copper award by W. Wyon and G.G. Adams, conjoined busts of Victoria and Prince Albert left, dolphins below, trident behind, rev. Britannia placing a wreath on kneeling figure of Industry, attended by supporters representing the continents, edge named (First Prize Medal of the Dublin Exhibition, awarded to George Russell Esqr of Wilmington Hall, Kent, for Hops), 77mm (cf. Allen A10, 15/15; cf. BHM 2462; cf. E 1456). About extremely fine, extremely rare £400-600

The obverse seems to be struck from an altered 1851 Great Exhibition die, with the removal of the words ‘Royal Mint’ from the bottom right field and the addition of II after the original date. The reverse die is Allen 15 with no stop after ‘Wyon’. Brown lists nothing like this in his catalogue under Dublin Exhibition (AHB 2519-2524), nor did Allen in his recent article (Coin News, January 2005).

George Russell (†February 1856, aged 61) is buried in the family vault at Wilmington churchyard