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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 educational award medal - Eton College Strafford Medal (HCR102411)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Leonard Charles Wyon

Dating

1881

Obverse

HOW NOBLE IN REASON! HOW INFINITE IN FACULTY!, bust of William Shakespeare, ¾ left, earringed, like the Chandos portrait; quotation adapted from "Hamlet"

Reverse

FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE STUDY OF SHAKESPEARE AT ETON COLLEGE / FOUNDED BY / THE RIGHT HONᴮᴸᴱ / GEORGE STEVENS BYNG / EARL OF STRAFFORD / MDCCCLXXXI, inscription surrounded by stars

British election medal (HCR98818)

Period

Modern

Person

W. O. Lewis, Lord Randolph Churchill

Dating

1884-1885

Obverse

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL / M.P. STATESMAN & ORATOR / W.O.LEWIS, bust of Lord Randolph Churchill, wearing coat, left

Reverse

COL. FRED BURNABY SOLDIER & PATRIOT / W.O.LEWIS, bust of Colonel Fred Burnaby, wearing coat, right

British commemorative medal (HCR95771)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

c. 1887

Obverse

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE / BORN APRIL 23ᴿᴰ 1574 / DIED APᴸ 23ᴿᴰ 1616, draped bust of William Shakespeare facing, within a fluted rim

Reverse

THE AMERICAN FOUNTAIN STRATFORD ON AVON, view of the American Fountain at Stratford-upon-Avon

British commemorative medal - birth of the Marquis of Blandford (HCR98822)

Period

Modern

Person

Charles Spencer Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough, Consuelo Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Charles Richard John Spencer Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough

Dating

1897-1898

Obverse

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH, conjoined draped busts of the Duchess and Duke of Marlborough bare head, she facing left, he three-quarters facing

Reverse

TO / COMMEMORATE / THE BIRTH OF THE / MARQUIS OF BLANDFORD / SON OF / CHARLES SPENCER CHURCHILL / AND CONSUELO / DUKE AND DUCHESS OF / MARLBOROUGH / SEPTᴿ 18ᵀᴴ 1897, open laurel wreath, riband below

British commemorative plaque (HCR95082)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

before 1941

Obverse

OUR SKIPPER, smiling portrait bust of Sir Winston Churchill, 3/4 left, in bow tie and suit

Modern plaque (HCR95619)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

c. 1930?

Obverse

SHAKESPEARE, draped bust of William Shakespeare, left

British commemorative medal (HCR95683)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Pinches

Dating

1904-1908

Obverse

IRVING PHELPS MACREADY / 1564 / 1616 / SHAKSPERE / P., bare head of William Shakespeare with falling lace collar facing ¾ left, within branches of an oak tree on which there are three heads (of Shakespearean actors)

Reverse

THE AVON, landscape view of the River Avon; church in distance; inscription in exergue

British commemorative medal (HCR95684)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Pinches

Dating

1904-1908

Obverse

Reverse

THE AVON, landscape view of the River Avon; church in distance; inscription in exergue

French medal (HCR95826)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Salvador Dalí

Dating

circa 1964?

Obverse

abstract portrait of William Shakespeare

Reverse

abstract symbols

Modern reproduction (HCR95035)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, J. Davis, Anthony Holmes

Dating

20th century

Obverse

"WILLIAM SHAKESPERE / DAVIS / BORN 23 APRIL 1564. DIED 23 APRIL 1616 /" and "THE HOUSE IN WHICH SHAKESPERE WAS BORN / STRATFORD-UPON-AVON / PURCHASED BY THE FATHER OF THE POET / IN 1564 (WITH EXTENSIVE GROUNDS) FOR L.40 / BECAME NATIONAL PROPERTY FOR L3000. RAISED BY SUBSCRIP—/TION.SEP.16.1847.", two reproduction medals, after the 1847 J. Davis design (obv. and rev.), mounted on a felt and wooden board: draped bust of William Shakespeare, bare head left and view of Shakespeare's house and birthplace; inscription in exergue

British laudatory medal (HCR95785)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Frank Bowcher, Messrs Spink & Son Ltd.

Dating

1911

Obverse

WILLLIAM · SHAKSPERE / F.E / PICT · AD · VIV · APVD · / WM SHARP · OGDEN / MᶜMˣᴵ, draped bust of William Shakespeare bare head ¾ facing

Reverse

EFFIG / APVD ECCL SA / SPINK / LOND / MDLXᴵⱽ APOLLO MDCˣⱽᴵ / ALTER / F · BOWCHER F / W·S · O INV, classicizing image of a nude female (representing the Muse of Poesy) standing holding lyre before laurel branches, 'unconsciously' laureating the head of William Shakespeare behind; at her feet, Puck seated holding the masks of tragicomedy. inscription in exergue, with vital dates

British laudatory medal (HCR95787)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Frank Bowcher, Messrs Spink & Son Ltd.

Dating

1911

Obverse

WILLLIAM · SHAKSPERE / F.E / PICT · AD · VIV · APVD · / WM SHARP · OGDEN / MᶜMˣᴵ, draped bust of William Shakespeare bare head ¾ facing

Reverse

British laudatory medal (HCR95788)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Frank Bowcher, Messrs Spink & Son Ltd.

Dating

1911

Obverse

WILLLIAM · SHAKSPERE / F.E / PICT · AD · VIV · APVD · / WM SHARP · OGDEN / MᶜMˣᴵ, draped bust of William Shakespeare bare head ¾ facing

Reverse

British laudatory medal (HCR102427)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, Frank Bowcher, Messrs Spink & Son Ltd.

Dating

1911

Obverse

WILLLIAM · SHAKSPERE / F.E / PICT · AD · VIV · APVD · / WM SHARP · OGDEN / MᶜMˣᴵ, draped bust of William Shakespeare bare head ¾ facing

Reverse

British commemorative medal - tercentenary of the birth of William Shakespeare (HCR95780)

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 commemorative medal - tercentenary of the birth of William Shakespeare (HCR95781)

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 / W. H. DOMMETT / IS INSCRIBED / IN / THE BOOK / OF / THE WORLD'S TRIBUTE / TO SHAKESPEARE / MIMXII, inscription around; plaque for name to be inscribed

British commemorative medal - tercentenary of the birth of William Shakespeare (HCR95786)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare

Dating

1912

Obverse

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

Reverse

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

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