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Medals & Decorations

The Ashmolean Museum has a very good collection of British historical medals, dating from the Tudor period to the present day, with particularly high concentrations for the 18th and 19th centuries. Its continental and world holdings are very diverse, with some particularly significant medals of the Italian Renaissance; Germany and the Low Countries in the Renaissance and Baroque age; the papacy; etc. The decorations are mostly British and date from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.

British presentation medal - Churchill War Coalition Cabinet Presentation Medal (HCR95074)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Mint

Spink & Son, Ltd., London (Modern)

Dating

1946

Obverse

SALUTE THE / GREAT COALITION / 1940 - 1945, inscription within oak wreath

Reverse

TO / PAUL EMRYS-EVANS / FROM / WINSTON CHURCHILL, inscription within oak wreath

Modern commemorative plaquette (HCR98610)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

1946

Obverse

an older suited Sir Winston Churchill, left, smoking cigar, in front of the Houses of Parliament and the Queen Elizabeth Tower ('Big Ben'), London

Commemorative American medal - "Iron Curtain" speech (HCR98938)

Period

Modern

Person

Frank Kovacs, Sir Winston Churchill

Mint

The Danbury Mint (Modern)

Dating

1946-1999

Obverse

☆ CHURCHILL MAKES "IRON CURTAIN" SPEECH ☆ 1946 / FK, Sir Winston Churchill, facing, in bow tie, with right forefinger pointed as if giving a speech; in front, microphones and leaves; ?signature of the artist?

Reverse

AT / FULTON, MISSOURI, / WINSTON CHURCHILL TOLD / THE WORLD THAT RUSSIA'S / POST-WAR CONTROL OF EASTERN EUROPE / HAD CAUSED AN IRON CURTAIN TO / DESCEND ON THAT CONTINENT / AND THAT THE COLD WAR / HAD BEGUN. ☆ 1946 ☆, inscription; eagle standing on banner with year of speech; laurel branches

French commemorative medal (HCR98719)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

2nd half of the 20th century

Obverse

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, bust of Sir Winston Churchill, left

French commemorative medal (HCR98720)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

2nd half of the 20th century

Obverse

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL / CERCLE DU / BIBLIOPHILE, bust of Sir Winston Churchill, left

French commemorative medal (HCR98721)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

2nd half of the 20th century

Obverse

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL / CERCLE DU / BIBLIOPHILE, bust of Sir Winston Churchill, left

French commemorative medal (HCR98925)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

2nd half of the 20th century

Obverse

WINSTON CHURCHILL, bust of Sir Winston Churchill, left

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Mint

The Mint, Birmingham (Modern)

Dating

1954

Obverse

bust of Sir Winston Churchill, draped, almost facing

Reverse

1874-1954 / TO COMMEMORATE THE 80ᵗʰ. BIRTHDAY OF / THE RIGHT HONOURABLE / SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL / K.G., O.M., C.H. / BRITAIN'S WARTIME / LEADER / NEVER WAS SO MUCH / OWED BY SO MANY, two oak branches above; crossed laurel branches below; paraphrasing of one of Churchill's quotations

British commemorative medal - Winston Churchill, 80th Birthday 1954 (HCR98680)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Mint

The Mint, Birmingham (Modern)

Dating

1954

Obverse

bust of Sir Winston Churchill, draped, almost facing

Reverse

?British? medallic stamp plaque (HCR98919)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, Head of the Commonwealth

Dating

1954-2020

Obverse

view of the installation ceremony of Sir Winston Churchill as Knight of the Garter: Sir Winston Churchill in Garter dress; Queen Elizabeth II processing down steps; royals and officials around

Reverse

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: KNIGHT OF THE GARTER / 14th June 1954 / Sir Winston Churchill is installed as a Knight Companion / of the Most Noble Order of the Garter at the traditional / ceremony in St George's Chapel, Windsor., portrait bust of Queen Elizabeth II within tondo; inscription below

British award medal - Parkes Weber Prize (HCR165991)

Period

Modern

Person

Frank Bowcher

Dating

1954-1955

Obverse

LONDON MDCCXCIX / DIE OCTAVO MENSIS / ANNO ÆTATIS SVÆ XXXVII / F. PARKES WEBER / M.D., F . R . C . P . , F . S.A., / F. BOWCHER, bust of F. Parkes Weber, holding medal, left

Reverse

IT DERIVES EQUAL / INTEREST FROM / BOTH / HISTORY, on the left, draped female allegorical figure (Numismatics) approaches a medallion; on the right, draped female allegorical figure (History) leans against a half-length Ionic column; behind, coin cabinet with a tray ajar, the bottom panel of which decorated with a quadriga

Venezuelan commemorative medal - Churchill Second World War Leader Commemorative Medal (HCR96916)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Remo Cademartori, Pedro Centeno-Vallenilla

Mint

Acuñaciones C.A., Caracas (Modern), German State Mint, Karlsruhe (Modern)

Dating

1957

Obverse

JEFES EN LA SEGUNDA GUERRA / CHIEFS IN THE SECOND WAR 1939 1945 / CHURCHILL / G. BRT. G.B. / R.B., head of Sir Winston Churchill facing, slightly to right

Reverse

JEFES / EN LA SEGUNDA GUERRA / CHIEFS IN THE SECOND WAR BANCO / ITALO-VENEZOLANO / Silber / 1000 fein / ca. 13 g. / VENEZUELA 1957 / R.C. / 1939 / 1945 / P.C.-V., open-winged condor, talons grasping a sword

Venezuelan commemorative medal - Churchill Second World War Leader Commemorative Medal (HCR98691)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Remo Cademartori, Pedro Centeno-Vallenilla

Mint

Acuñaciones C.A., Caracas (Modern), German State Mint, Karlsruhe (Modern)

Dating

1957

Obverse

JEFES EN LA SEGUNDA GUERRA / CHIEFS IN THE SECOND WAR 1939 1945 / CHURCHILL / G. BRT. G.B. / R.B., head of Sir Winston Churchill facing, slightly to right

Reverse

JEFES / EN LA SEGUNDA GUERRA / CHIEFS IN THE SECOND WAR BANCO / ITALO-VENEZOLANO / 20 GR. DE ORO PURO · VENEZUELA 1957 · 20 GR. FINE GOLD / ORO GR / 22.2 / LEY 900 / R.C. / 1939 / 1945 / P.C.-V., open-winged condor, talons grasping a sword