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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 commemorative medal - tercentenary of the birth of William Shakespeare (HCR95789)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1912

Obverse

William Shakespeare, bust of William Shakespeare, ¾ left, facing; below, one of his signatures

Reverse

STRUCK by the SHAKESPEARE MEMORIAL COMMITTEE at "SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND" · / 1616 - 1916 / THE RECIPIENT'S / NAME / IS INSCRIBED / IN / THE BOOK / OF / THE WORLD'S TRIBUTE / TO SHAKESPEARE / MIMXII, inscription around; plaque for name to be inscribed

British prize medal - Henry Ainley Prize (HCR95736)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1914

Obverse

· ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ART · HENRY AINLEY PRIZE, draped bust of William Shakespeare, bare head facing, resting upon a cushion, with paper in left hand, quill in right; closely follows the Stratford memorial bust

Reverse

AWARDED TO / ANNE WALDEN / 1914, a wreath of laurel surrounding inscription

Iron medal of German Empire - Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, Satirical Medal (HCR96887)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, W. Eberbach

Mint

Strassburg (Modern)

Dating

1915-1916

Obverse

HURRA GERMANIA / BRITANNIA RULE THE WAVES / EW, large sea monster, Britannia, attacking nude Siegfried carrying shield and sword; artist's cipher; within a pellet ring; outside, wave design and legend

Reverse

SIR / WINSTON · CHURCHILL / DEM · SEEGEWALTIGEN / W · EBERBACH, U-boat underway to right, (unusually) with dot over "I" in "SIR"; within a pellet ring; outside, wave design and legend

Iron medal of German Empire - Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, Satirical Medal (HCR96888)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, W. Eberbach

Mint

Strassburg (Modern)

Dating

1915-1916

Obverse

Reverse

SIR / WINSTON · CHURCHILL / DEM · SEEGEWALTIGEN / ǝ · W · EBERBACH · 16 ·, U-boat underway to right, (unusually) shown underwater and among fish, with cursive on "SIR"; within a pellet ring; outside, wave design and legend

British commemorative medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95604)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Messrs Vaughton, Dorothy Dick

Dating

1916

Obverse

SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENARY / Dorothy Dick, draped bust of William Shakespeare, closely following the Stratford memorial bust, bare head facing; signature of the artist, bottom

Reverse

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE · BORN 1564 DIED 1616 · / STRATFORD-UPON-AVON · 1916 ·, Arms of Stratford-upon-Avon on leaves. Inscription in two concentric circles around

British commemorative medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95605)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Messrs Vaughton, Dorothy Dick

Dating

1916

Obverse

SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENARY / Dorothy Dick, draped bust of William Shakespeare, closely following the Stratford memorial bust, bare head facing; signature of the artist, bottom

Reverse

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE · BORN 1564 DIED 1616 · / STRATFORD-UPON-AVON · 1916 ·, Arms of Stratford-upon-Avon on leaves. Inscription in two concentric circles around

Modern commemorative plaquette - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95615)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1916

Obverse

SHAKESPEARE / M. & W. ST. / 1564 1616, draped bust of William Shakespeare within roundel, facing, flanked by neoclassical style tripods; at bottom, draped and hooded dramatic female figure posing with a Tragic mask; to left, fronds and leaves

British commemorative medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95735)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Messrs Vaughton, Dorothy Dick

Dating

1916

Obverse

SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENARY / Dorothy Dick, draped bust of William Shakespeare, bare head facing; signature of the artist, bottom

Reverse

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE · BORN 1564 DIED 1616 · / STRATFORD-UPON-AVON · 1916 ·, Arms of Stratford-upon-Avon on leaves. Inscription in two concentric circles around

Modern essay prize medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95770)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1916

Obverse

· THREE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF SHAKESPEARE'S DEATH · 1616 — 1916, bust of William Shakespeare, ¾ facing

Reverse

MEDAL / AWARDED BY / THE INDEPENDENT / FOR BEST ESSAY ON THE / LIFE AND WORKS OF / SHAKESPEARE / APRIL 23ᴿᴰ / 1916, inscription around

American academic prize medal - The William H. Quicksall Medal (HCR95773)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1916

Obverse

THE WILLIAM H. QUICKSALL MEDAL / · SHAKESPEARE · / 1564 · 1616, bust of William Shakespeare, left; inscription in exergue

Reverse

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY / COLLEGIUM GEORGIOPOLITANVM · 1789 ·, landscape of Georgetown University (Washington D.C., USA); in exergue, crest, inscribed book, and lamp

American commemorative medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95774)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1916

Obverse

AMERICAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION · WALDORF-ASTORIA NEW YORK 1916 · / FRANKLIN / D 20 F, portrait of Franklin, at a printing press (?)

Reverse

1616 · TERCENTENARY · 1916 · SHAKESPEARE, bust of William Shakespeare, ¾ facing, surrounded by wreaths of laurel and masks of tragicomedy

Modern essay prize medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95775)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1916

Obverse

· THREE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF SHAKESPEARE'S DEATH · 1616 — 1916, bust of William Shakespeare, ¾ facing

Reverse

MEDAL / AWARDED BY / THE INDEPENDENT / FOR BEST ESSAY ON THE / LIFE AND WORKS OF / SHAKESPEARE / APRIL 23ᴿᴰ / 1916 / I. HENRY AGOS, inscription around

Modern essay prize medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95776)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1916

Obverse

· THREE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF SHAKESPEARE'S DEATH · 1616 — 1916, bust of William Shakespeare, ¾ facing

Reverse

MEDAL / AWARDED BY / THE INDEPENDENT / FOR BEST ESSAY ON THE / LIFE AND WORKS OF / SHAKESPEARE / APRIL 23ᴿᴰ / 1916, inscription around

American commemorative medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95777)

Period

Modern

Dating

1916

Obverse

1616 / NEW YORK CITY SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENARY CELEBRATION / 1916, coat of arms of William Shakespeare, with eagle holding lance; above, leaves of laurel

Reverse

CALIBAN / PARTICIPANT / By the / YELLOW SANDS, theatrical mask with tie

American commemorative medal - tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (HCR95778)

Period

Modern

Dating

1916

Obverse

1616 / NEW YORK CITY SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENARY CELEBRATION / 1916, coat of arms of William Shakespeare, with eagle holding lance; above, leaves of laurel

Reverse

CALIBAN / PARTICIPANT / By the / YELLOW SANDS, theatrical mask with tie

Bronze/copper medal of German Empire - Lord Balfour and the "Lusitania", Satirical Medal (HCR98597)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1916

Obverse

DIFFICILE EST SATI RAM NON SCRIBERE / DIE · LVSITANIA · MVENZE / GIBT · LORD · BALFOVR / STOFF · Z · REDEN / 9·XI·1916, First Lord of the Admiralty Arthur Balfour showing Goetz’s Lusitania medal to Prime Minister H. H. Asquith (or David Lloyd George?) and Lord Grey (or Sir Winston Churchill?); Goetz in the background sketches the scene while being reprimanded by Lord Grey (or Sir Winston Churchill?); Latin inscription a quotation from Juvenal (Juv. 1.1.29)

Reverse

ENGLISCHE HETZ ARBEIT IN SCHWEDEN / ENGL / FLUG / BLATT / EIN / DEVTSCHER / SEE SIEG / LU / SITA / NI / A / M / EDAI / LLE / 1916 / K · G, Scots military piper, (personification of perfidious Albion) walking right whilst playing, wearing inscribed scroll

Iron medal of German Empire - Lord Balfour and the "Lusitania", Satirical Medal (HCR98603)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1916

Obverse

DIFFICILE EST SATI RAM NON SCRIBERE / DIE · LVSITANIA · MVENZE / GIBT · LORD · BALFOVR / STOFF · Z · REDEN / 9·XI·1916, First Lord of the Admiralty Arthur Balfour showing Goetz’s Lusitania medal to Prime Minister H. H. Asquith (or David Lloyd George?) and Winston Churchill; Goetz in the background sketches the scene while being reprimanded by Lord Grey; Latin inscription a quotation from Juvenal (Juv. 1.1.29)

Reverse

ENGLISCHE HETZ ARBEIT IN SCHWEDEN / FLUG / BLATT / EIN / DEVTSCHER / SEE SIEG / LU / SITA / NI / A / M / EDAI / LLE / 1916 / K · G, Scots military piper, (personification of perfidious Albion) walking right whilst playing, wearing inscribed scroll