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Description — clicking on underlined text brings up extra full size images of each piece |
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A large fireman's badge for an armband depicting the Royal Exchange, with coronet above, by Reily and Storer, London 1837 inscribed "ROYAL EXCHANGE ASSURANCE 1720". The back is inscribed with a name. The building burned down in 1837. |
1885 | |
A silver medallion commemorating the marriage of Charles II and Catherine of Braganza, c.1662. Price: In 1662 Catherine of Braganza (1638-1705), daughter of King John IV of Portugal, arrived in England as the consort of the recently restored Charles II. As part of her dowry Great Britain gained Tangier and Bombay (along with trading concessions with Portugal and a sum of £300,000). She also appears to have been responsible for popularising tea drinking in her new home. When Charles II died in 1685 Catherine returned to Portugal and served as a key adviser to her brother Peter II, serving as Regent in 1701 and 1704-1705. Her name is recorded for posterity in the United States - the borough of Queens in New York was so named while she was Queen of England. |
7622 | |
A matched pair of medals - one silver the other base metal - by Thomas Pingo of London 1774, depicting Peter Muilman and his wife Mary and their home on the occasion of their fortieth wedding anniversary, and a print showing Kirby Hall, their home . Further details about these unusual medals may be found here |
4433 | |
A George III gilt bronze medal, in its original case, for the Pitt Club of London inset with a Tassie portrait of William Pitt (d. 1806) circa 1808, engraved with the name of John Dodson Esq. CLD Price: £525.00 The original London Pitt Club was founded in 1793 to counteract the ideas of the French Revolution and support the political beliefs of William Pitt the younger (1759-1806) who served as Prime Minister from 1783-1801 and 1804-1806. It remained a small society until the early 19th century and was relaunched in 1808 (when it was dissolved in 1849 1,731 members had been enrolled).
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9265 | |
A pair of oval medallions inscribed for entry to an "ASSEMBLY" and "CONCERT", also engraved with the name 'Dr. Jeans', circa 1800.
There are a number of possible owners of these medallions in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries (all closely related): |
5292 | |
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A Charles I medallion commemorating the marriage of the King and Henrietta Maria of France, 1625. Price: £395.00 Charles I inherited the British crown from his father in 1625, his elder brother Prince Henry having died in 1611. Later that year the King married Henriette Marie of France, daughter of Henry IV and sister of Louis XIII of France. She came over to Britain and was officially known by the more anglicised Queen Mary- however she did not like this and was more usually referred to as Henrietta Maria. As a Roman Catholic she was often unpopular in 17th century Britain and became a reviled figure during the Civil Wars and there was an attempt to have her legally arrested in 1641, in order to put pressure on the King. During the Civil War she went abroad to raise money and support for her husband (and after his deposition and subsequent execution in 1649, for her eldest son). Following the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 Henrietta Maria returned to London and stayed until 1662 before returning to France. An example of this medallion was described in a letter written by Rev. Joseph Mead to Sir Martin Stuteville on 28th May 1625. He records that these medallions were scattered among the crowd at the wedding, noting that: "I have one of the pieces flung about at the marriage. On one side is Cupid, holding in one hand lilies, in the other roses; the motto Fundit amor Lilia mixta rosis. On the other side. The picture of the King and Queen with this- Carolus Mag Et Henrietta Maria, Brit. Rex et Reg. No jollity at the marriage, not any of the French, save the King himself and the prince in gay clothes. But our ambassadors were very rich and gallant."
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9222 |
A George III school medal made in London in 1813 by IA and issued as a Reward of Merit to F. Bowring in 1813 by Shaftesbury Academy (in its original morocco leather case). Price: There is evidence for two schools called Shaftesbury Academy. The earlier, located in Shaftesbury (Dorset), is first mentioned in the Salisbury and Winchester Journal for Monday 9th January 1809 as having been opened by 'John Christie AM with proper Assistants'. The second school was in London. Although the earliest apparent newspaper reference to this school is in 1826 it was depicted in an 1819 watercolour of Shaftesbury House on Aldersgate Street by Robert Blemmell Schnebbelie at which time the Academy shared the building with other businesses- a General Dispensary and John Smith's tea warehouse. The building is known to have been demolished by 1882. The Academy, recorded from as early as 1819, was still there in 1839 when it was recorded in 'Le Repertoire Litteraire' and was run by F. Groom Esquire. The building in which the school was located, Shaftesbury House, on Aldersgate Street in the City of London was a historical one. It was built in 1644 by Inigo Jones for the Earl of Thanet and was then owned by Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, but by 1750 it had become a lying in hospital and was later subdivided into the form that can be seen in the 1819 illustration. This photograph of the building was taken around 1878 by Henry Dixon.
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8815 | |
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An Edward VII silver prize oar made in London in 1903 by Charles Edwards. It was won by B. F. Sawbridge of University College, Oxford for rowing in the second seat in the Junior Fours Competition in 1903 and is in the original leather case (with the retailer's mark of R. S. Rowell of 115 High Street, Oxford). Accompanying the oar is Sawbridge's Book of Common Prayer presented to him by his Godmother I[sabella] T[udor] Frere in 1898 (she was also his maternal aunt) . Price: Bartle Frere Sawbridge (1884-1964) was the second son of Reverend John Sikes Sawbridge (1841-1925) and Elizabeth Tudor Frere (1850-1931), daughter of noted botanist George Edward Frere and niece of Sir Henry Bartle Frere, 1st Baronet. In 1893 the Bury Free Press reported on a dramatic performance put on by the younger members of the Sawbridge family in which Bartle played "David Copperfield and the waiter". Bartle Frere was educated at Winchester College and matriculated at New College, Oxford in 1902 to read chemistry. As this oar testifies Frere was a noted rower at Oxford and was also in the crew of the Second Torpid boat in 1904. In 1905 Sawbridge was mentioned in the Globe newspaper as having shot a 23lb grouse (possibly an escapee from Sandringham). After Graduation Frere worked as an assistant to A. C. Chapman, a noted authority on the chemistry of brewing, and was thanked personally for 'preparing some of the photomicrographs' to be included in Chapman's 1912 work 'Brewing' (published by Cambridge University Press). He had been admitted to the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1908 and made a Fellow in 1911. During the First World War Frere joined the London Rifle Brigade and emerged with the rank of Captain, having been involved with the anti-gas preparations in France. In 1927 Bartle married Katherine Frances Iles (1891-1943). In civilian life Frere joined the brewers Whitbread and Company and retired in 1947, by which time he was senior chemist at their Chiswell Street brewery. 1947 also saw Sawbridge's second marriage to Miss. S. B. Mills who survived her husband by 13 years, dying in 1976.
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9154 |
An engraved school medal, by Fergusson and McBean of Inverness, awarded by the London Inverness-shire Association to Catherine Taylor Dux of Inverness High Public School in 1903. |
7216 | |
A Victorian medal commemorating the opening of the Royal Exchange by Queen Victoria in 1844 (with armorials on the reverse and Queen Victoria on the obverse) in the original velvet lined leather case, 1844. The building of a Royal Exchange to act as the centre of commerce for the City of London had been suggested in 1562, on the same model as the bourse in Antwerp. However it was not until 1571 that the first purpose built building, orchestrated by Sir Thomas Gresham, was opened by Elizabeth I. This was destroyed in the Great Fire of London and another building, on the same site, was opened in 1669. This building also succumbed to fire in 1838 and in 1842 the first stone of the new building was laid by Prince Albert. It was completed in 1844, opened by Queen Victoria and still stands today. The arms on the reverse of this medal are those of the City, Sir Thomas Gresham and the Mercers' Company.
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7993z | |
A Victorian school medal issued by Foyle College to W. J. Franks, June 1856. Foyle College can trace its origins back to 1617 and the Free Grammar School founded on Society Street, within the City walls of Derry, by Matthias Springman. In 1814, following legal wrangles about funding and the right to appoint the Headmaster, the school moved to a larger purpose built school on a hill above the Strand, just outside the City walls. The new building was designed by John Bowden, who was also responsible for the Court house in Derry. It was at this time that the School was renamed 'Foyle College'- a name reputedly suggested by George Fletcher Moore, then one of the Boarders and future prominent voluntary settler in Western Australia, and seconded by his fellow students. In 1898 Foyle College merged with the rival Londonderry Academic Institution (founded 1868) and . The resulting school had the use of the endowments and buildings of both schools and went on to absorb the Londonderry High School in 1976 as well. The combined school (now relocated to the site of the former US Naval Communications station) and, although legally Foyle and Londonderry College, kept the name and traditions of Foyle College. Famous Alumni include George Fletcher Moore, Major General James Gwyn of the Union Army , and Sir Michael Alexander (former British Ambassador to NATO). Sadly the school records for the 1850s are not extant so that the achievements of W. J. Franks are unknown. |
8119 | |
A gaming token depicting Frederick, Elector Palatine of the Rhine (1596-1632) made in London circa 1620 by Simon Van De Pass. Frederick, Elector Palatine (1596-1632) inherited the family lands of the Palatinate of the Rhine in 1610 and married Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I of England, in 1613. Frederick was a prominent member of the Protestant party in the predominantly Catholic Holy Roman Empire ruled by the Habsburgs and in 1619 accepted the Crown of Bohemia in the Protestant interest. Sadly the Catholic claimant to the throne, and head of the Habsburg family, was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1619 (with Frederick's being the only vote against him). The fighting that these events caused was one of the immediate sparks that caused what became known as the Thirty Years War. Frederick held Bohemia for two years before losing control of it and all his ancestral lands. He died in 1632. This token was produced by noted engraver Crispin Van De Pass (1564-1637) in London in the early 1620s when, due to his being the son-in-law of the King and his Protestantism, Frederick was a popular figure. His son Prince Rupert went on to be the most charismatic Royalist cavalry commander of the British Civil Wars.
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8362 | |
A George IV school medal presented as a Reward of Merit by Mr. John Robertson Writing Master to Robert Mason Dux of his Arithmetic Class of young gentleman Edinburgh 11th August 1821, unmarked circa 1821. Price: £225.00 This particular school is not referred to in the book on Scottish and Irish school medals published in 1989. John Robertson is sadly not an uncommon name- in 1841 (the first fully detailed census) there were 32, 399 Robertsons in the United Kingdom (of whom 28, 467 were in Scotland) and of these 2,816 were called John (of whom 2, 501 were in Scotland). However the sources now available online do reveal something of this John Robertson. Although he does not seem to have advertised in the newspapers of the time- he was recorded in trade directories as a writing master in Edinburgh. In 1820 he was at 3 Hanover Street, in 1824 at 86 South Bridge Street and in 1825 at 19 South St. David Street. Confusingly from 1830 there is also a John Bell Robertson (born 1791 or c. 1796 depending on the source) who was also a writing master and worked from nearby North St. David Street and is recorded there from 1830 to 1860. Given his age they could be the same person, now using his middle name but it is not possible to be certain. |
9373 | |
A George III Proof halfpenny produced by Matthew Boulton at his Soho works in 1799. The earliest halfpenny seems to have been produced in the early 13th century and the denomination was only abandoned on the change to decimal coinage in 1971. By the 18th century the shortage of small change was giving the country significant cause for concern. Allegedly by 1780, only 8% of copper coins in circulation were genuine. To combat counterfeiting in 1797 The Royal Mint contracted Matthew Boulton to produce copper coinage in Birmingham. |
8191 | |
A George III silver medal commemorating the entry of the British army into Paris in July 1815. The obverse carries the profile of the Duke of Wellington and the reverse a view of the Louvre Palace. Price: £210.00 Following the capture of Paris by British and allied troops and the abdication of Napoleon in 1814 the Emperor was exiled to Elba. However he escaped in February 1815 and regained control of France. This necessitated a new coalition to be formed against him comprising, among others, Austria, Russia, Prussia, Holland, Hanover and Great Britain. The commander of the British forces was Arthur Wellesley, who had been created 1st Duke of Wellington in 1814. |
8883 | |
A William III copper medal commemorating the death of Mary II, circa 1694 . When James II fled England in 1688, he was taken to have abdicated his throne. His eldest daughter and his son-in-law and nephew, William, Prince of Orange, became joint monarchs as Mary II and William III. Mary died of smallpox in 1694 and William ruled alone until his death in 1702 when he was succeeded by Mary's younger sister Anne. |
6890 | |
A Jernegan medal inscribed on front 'GROWING ARTS ADORN EMPIRE — CAROLINE PROTECTING 1736' and on obverse 'BOTH HANDS FILLd FOR BRITAIN — GEORGE REIGNING'. This medal was a prize in an eighteenth century lottery. Arguably the most important piece of eighteenth century silver in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is the 'Jernengan Wine Cistern' made in around 1735 by Frederick Kandler (of which there are copies in the Victoria and Albert and the Metropolitan Museums). This monumental piece of silver was commissioned by Littleton Poyntz Meynell from Henry Jernengan but when it was completed he did not accept it and in due course it was disposed of via a lottery (the smaller prizes being medals and the first prize, the cistern). The cistern was won by a Major William Battine, who had bought 7 tickets and also won six medals. He had sold the cistern to Empress Elizabeth of Russia by 1740. |
5086 | |
A Victorian silver agricultural medal, in the original red morocco leather case, issued by the Highland and Agricultural Society to Ja[me]s McPherson of Pitcroy for the best Golden Melon Barley exhibited at Aberlour in 1868. Price: £160.00 According to the records of the Highland and Agricultural Society in 1868 the competition for the production of Golden Melon Barley (used in Whisky production) had 3 entries. James McPherson of Pitcroy won having sowed his land (which was 50 feet above sea level and exposed to a South East wind) on April 27th 1867 and reaped it on July 20th. He succeeded in growing 5 1/4 quarters per Imperial Acre and each bushel weighed 57 lbs. |
8876 | |
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A Victorian medal, in case with retailers mark of Mappin and Webb, made to commemorate the centenary of the Royal Veterinary College and struck with the College coat of arms, 1891. This medal was presented to G. A. Hewett. Price: The Royal Veterinary College was founded in London in 1791 and followed the foundation of the first such in institution in Europe at Lyon in 1762. A site in what is now Camden Town, then a rural location but being developed by the Earl of Camden, was acquired and Charles Venoit Vial de St. Bel (who had trained in Lyon) became the first Principal. At this point there were four students and the college treated their first horse in 1793. George IV patronised the College but it was not until 1844 the College received a Royal charter. 1891 saw the centenary of the College, hence 300 medals were commissioned and each student received a bursary of £20. The centenary also saw the foundation of the student union. This medal was issued to G[eorge] A[lwyn] Hewett (1871-1908). Hewett was the son of Charles Burtt Hewett, a farmer, and is recorded in the 1881 census as a student resident at Ash Road, Aldershot. By the time of the 1891 census he was living at 29 Lyme Street (very close to the Royal Veterinary College) and was recorded as a Veterinary Student. Hewett graduated on 13th December 1893 and In 1897 he married Grace Cumming (b. 1862). The 1901 census shows that he and his wife had returned to Aldershot and were living at Sandy Pit Lane. Sadly Hewett died on 12th October 1908, when he was living at Ayling House in Aldershot and his estate was probated at £8950 8s 6d. Ayling House is now Grade II listed and described in the official documents as: Late C18. 2 storeys, 3 windows to North and South fronts; small wing to west. Small bell turret surmounts a red-tiled roof, which has hipped ends and a brick dentil eaves. Red brick walling in Flemish bond, with flat rubbed arches to openings, stone cills. Sash windows in reveals. South front has an open Tuscan porch; on the north is a rusticated brick porch of later date. Old boundary wall in Flemish garden vail bond, red stretches and blue headers.
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9280 |
A George III 1 shilling trade token issued by John Robertson of Newcastle, Goldsmith, in 1811. Price: £120.00 Obverse: Arms, three castles, two over one, gules, and supporters of Newcastle; Motto, FORTITER DEFENDIT TRIUMPHANS (Triumphing it bravely defends). Crest, a lion holding a standard issuant from a castle; PAYABLE BY IOHN ROBERTSON. NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. Reverse: Female seated on a bale, with spear and cornucopia; a ship in the distance; NORTHUMBERLAND & DURHAM 12_D TOKEN 1811. The spear is between the N and the D. A border of dots on the obverse. These tokens were issued in many locations throughout the country at a time when Great Britain was short of silver coinage. Robertson's tokens ended up being the subject of a correspondence in the local newspapers. On 26th November 1811 local traders (118 of them) refused to accept Robertson's tokens or anyone else's. On 1st May 1812 Robertson promised to honour the stated value of the tokens and although 'no two of John Robertson's Tokens are of the same weight, but any twenty of them, taken promiscuously, will average in real value from 10d. to 10 1/2 d. each' (the alleged value was 8d. to 8 1/2d. each). The London Gazette records that Robertson was declared bankrupt , Feb. 20, 1821. Reference: Dalton Northumberland- Newcastle upon Tyne 11
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8949 | |
A George III sixpence trade token, issued by Cattle and Barber of York, Goldsmiths, in 1811. Obverse: Arms of the city between olive and palm branches. Legend, YORK 1811. There are four berries in the olive branch. The stem of the palm is over the first one in the date. NOTES: Cattle and Barber were goldsmiths and jewellers in Coney Street, York. “An issue of silver tokens has been made by Messrs. Cattle and Barber of York. These tokens are of the value of Shillings and Sixpences, and are finished in a neat style, bearing on one side the arms of York, and on the other, their value, with the names of the issuers.”- Chronicle, Oct. 12, 1811.
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8948 | |
A Victorian base metal medal commemorating the opening of the Alton Loan and Art Exhibition on 23rd June 1882 by the Duke and Duchess of Connaught. This medal was made by a Mr. Lewis (probably William Osborne Lewis of Birmingham) on behalf of W. Row & Son of Alton. Price: £110.00 The Hampshire newspapers of the summer of 1882 make several references to the forthcoming
‘Clearance Sale of Medals … W. T. Row [and] Son beg to give notice they intend, offering the |
8963 | |
A silver sixpence in superb condition, 1834. |
5193 | |
A George III 1 shilling trade token issued by John Robertson of Newcastle, Goldsmith, in 1811. Price: Obverse: Arms, three castles, two over one, gules, and supporters of Newcastle; Motto, FORTITER DEFENDIT TRIUMPHANS (Triumphing it bravely defends). Crest, a lion holding a standard issuant from a castle; PAYABLE BY IOHN ROBERTSON. NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. Reverse: Female seated on a bale, with spear and cornucopia; a ship in the distance; NORTHUMBERLAND & DURHAM 12_D TOKEN 1811. The spear is between the N and the D. A border of dots on the obverse. These tokens were issued in many locations throughout the country at a time when Great Britain was short of silver coinage. Robertson's tokens ended up being the subject of a correspondence in the local newspapers. On 26th November 1811 local traders (118 of them) refused to accept Robertson's tokens or anyone else's. On 1st May 1812 Robertson promised to honour the stated value of the tokens and although 'no two of John Robertson's Tokens are of the same weight, but any twenty of them, taken promiscuously, will average in real value from 10d. to 10 1/2 d. each' (the alleged value was 8d. to 8 1/2d. each). The London Gazette records that Robertson was declared bankrupt , Feb. 20, 1821. Reference: Dalton Northumberland- Newcastle upon Tyne 11
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8757 | |
A plain counter engraved 'Fear God' and on the reverse, 'WC Morpeth June 14th 1798'; unmarked. Price: £110.00 |
8571 | |
A Jernegan medal with on front an image of Queen Caroline 'GROWING ARTS ADORN EMPIRE - CAROLINE PROTECTING' and on obverse 'BOTH HANDS FILLd FOR BRITAIN - GEORGE REIGNING' 1736. Price: £95.00 |
3832 | |
A Henry III silver penny circa 1250. Price: £75.00 |
3920 | |
A copper advertising token for Low's Grand Hotel, Covent Garden by John Kirk London 1774 In 1773 a 55 year lease on 43 King Street, Covent Garden was taken out in 1773 by David Low at £200 per year. The house, formerly the residence of the Edward Russell, Earl of Orford, appears in a 1738 image by William Hogarth. Low, formerly a peruke maker in Covent Garden, opened the house as Low's Grand Hotel in 1774 with a top price of 15s a night for a suite of two rooms (7 days wages for a skilled tradesman). The hotel was described as 'the only Hotel for Families on your Grace's estate . . . being fitted up in a Stile of Elegance for the reception of the Nobility and Gentry requiring temporary residence in Town'. Unfortunately these improvements came at a cost (£6000 or £7000 at Low's estimation) and Low became bankrupt in 1786. The property continued in mixed occupation with part of it serving as the first headquarters of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1835-1837 and in the 1840s another part was a hotel run by actor and singer W. C. Evans. From the 1870s the building housed a number of clubs: from 1874-1875 the Savage Club, from 1882-1883 John Hollingshead's Falstaff Club, from 1884-1890 the New Club and 1891-1929 the National Sporting Club. It is now the London flagship store of clothing retailer L. K. Bennett.
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8160 | |
A base metal medal made in 1829 depicting the copy of the Warwick vase created by Sir Edward Thomason in 1820. The original Warwick vase was discovered in Italy in 1770 and its form was often copied for use in silver objects. In 1820, Sir Edward Thomason, a leading Birmingham goldsmith and manufacturer, created a large scale copy (commemorated in this medal) which was acquired by the University of Cambridge in 1842 and still stands on the Senate House Lawn there. |
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A George VI silver cap badge for an Air Raid Precautions Warden made in London in 1939 by JC (unidentified). Price: £45.00 In September 1935 Stanley Baldwin (Prime Minister from 1923 to 1924, 1924 to 1929 and 1935 to 1937), published a circular entitled Air Raid Precautions (ARP) inviting local authorities to make plans to protect their people in the event of war. Such plans included building public air raid shelters. In April 1937 the government decided to create an Air Raid Wardens' Service and during the next year recruited around 200,000 volunteers. These volunteers were known as Air Raid Precaution Wardens. The main purposes of ARP Wardens were to patrol the streets during the blackout, to ensure that no light was visible, to report the extent of bomb damage and assess the local need for help from the emergency and rescue services. They were also responsible for the handing out of gas masks and pre-fabricated air-raid shelters (such as Anderson shelters or Morrison shelters), and staffed and organised public air-raid shelters. They used their knowledge of their local areas to help find and reunite family members who had been separated in the rush to find shelter during bombing raids. During the war there were over 1 million wardens, all volunteers. The vast majority of ARP badges are silver plated or base metal rather than silver.
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9224 |
A George IV bronze portrait medal of 'Francis Henry Egerton Earl of Bridgewater', by Donadio circa 1823. This medal was struck to commemorate the accession to the Earldom of Bridgewater of Francis Henry Egerton (1756-1829) as 8th Earl of Bridgewater in 1823. The 7th Earl, Egerton's elder brother John William had inherited the Bridgewater Estates, from their cousin, the 6th Earl, a noted great builder of canals in the late eighteenth century died without a male heir in 1803. Francis Henry Egerton died childless in 1829 and bequeathed his valuable 'Egerton Collection' of manuscripts relating to French and Italian literature to the British Museum along with £12,000 to fund further purchases. He also left £8,000 to the Royal Society to fund 'the best work on the Goodness of God as manifested in the creation' (the outcome is now known as The Bridgewater Treatises). Egerton was a notable eccentric: at his residence in Paris his many cats and dogs were dressed as Ladies and Gentlemen, taken out in his carriage, fed at his table and censured if their behaviour was not suitable. |
7084 | |
An oval school medal in base metal, for Acton County School showing the arms as 3 scimitars beneath a coronet and the motto PACTUM SERVA, circa 1920. Price: £35.00 |
1768 | |
A silver-gilt and enamel Treasurer's badge for the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, by L. Simpson & Co, London 1925 inscribed on reverse: PRESENTED TO BRO J. LINTON (Host) FOR SERVICES RENDERED AS TREASURER. 23rd Sept 1925. Price: £28.00 |
2167 | |
A base metal medallion comemorating the 1862 International Exhibition . Price: £25.00 |
3386 |