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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 (HCR98935)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Geoffrey Colley

Dating

1965-2020

Obverse

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL / 1874 1965 / G. COLLEY, portrait bust of Sir Winston Churchill, 3/4 left

Reverse

RALLIED THE FREE WORLD TO VICTORY ·, quarter-length portrait of Sir Winston Churchill making "V for Victory" sign, books and paintbrushes in paintbrush pot around, top half of the Union Flag, within tondo; inscription around

Modern commemorative medal (HCR98936)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

1965-2019

Obverse

WINSTON CHURCHILL / 1874 - 1965, bust of Sir Winston Churchill, facing

Reverse

'Now that we are together, / now that we are linked in a righteous / comradeship of arms... the British and / American peoples will... for the good / of all, walk together, side by side, / in majesty, in justice, and / in peace.' / Winston Churchill / Address to U.S. Congress/ 26th December, 1941, quotation from one of Sir Winston Churchill's speeches; joint Union Flag and the Stars and Stripes

British commemorative medal - Churchill and the Battle of Britain Commemorative Medal (HCR98937)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Oscar Nemon, Geoffrey Hearn

Dating

1965

Obverse

WINSTON CHURCHILL K.G., bust of Sir Winston Churchill in "siren suit", right

Reverse

THEIR / FINEST / HOUR / 1940, air battle between a British Spitfire to left, diving below; a German bomber to right, flak explosions around

American memorial medal - Churchill Memorial Medal (HCR98941)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, C. M. Casto

Mint

Wendell's, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Modern)

Denom.

Dollar

Dating

1965

Obverse

SIR WINSTON SPENCER CHVRCHILL 1874 - 1965, bust of Churchill facing, slightly left; beaded border

Reverse

FRIEND AND HONORARY CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES / IN / MEMORIAM / BERTY / CA, Britannia seated to right, with trident and supporting two overlapping shields; Union Flag on one, the other American with a diagonal scroll; beaded border

British memorial medal - Churchill Memorial Medal (HCR98943)

Period

Modern

Person

Messrs Spink & Son Ltd., Frank Kovacs, Sir Winston Churchill

Mint

Spink & Son, Ltd., London (Modern) (stated mint)

Dating

1965

Obverse

KOVACS / WINSTON CHURCHILL / 1874-1965, bust of Sir Winston Churchill, facing, slightly to left; behind him, books and paintbrushes

Reverse

LOW, DES. SPINK, FEC. / "VERY WELL, ALONE", soldier raising fist against a flight of enemy airplanes; oncoming channel around, symbolizing the British defence in the Battle of Britain, after a famous cartoon

British commemorative medal (HCR98948)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

1965-2020

Obverse

NEVER IN THE FILD OF HUMAN CONFLICT WAS SO MUCH OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW · / 1874 1965 / SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, gold-tone portrait bust of Sir Winston Churchill in foreground; in background, silver-tone view of the Elizabeth Tower and St Paul's Cathedral; vital dates and name in the form of a riband

Reverse

NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP IF YOU’RE GOING THROUGH HELL KEEP GOING ·, portrait bust of Sir Winston Churchill making "V for Victory" sign; in background, colourised printed Union Flag

Modern commemorative medal (HCR98950)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill

Dating

1965-2020

Obverse

WINSTON CHURCHILL 1874·1965, portrait bust of Sir Winston Churchill making "V for Victory" sign

Reverse

Winston S. Churchill, landscape of the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower; in exergue, Churchill's signature

British memorial medal - Churchill Memorial Medal (HCR98967)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Wieslaw Antoni Pater, Edgar John Kohler

Dating

1965

Obverse

bust of Sir Winston Churchill facing, slightly to left

Reverse

The Rᵗ HON. SIR WINSTON SPENCER-CHURCHILL. K.G., O.M., C.H · 1874 1965: / HONI · SOIT · QUI · MAL · Y · PENSE · / TK&S, Churchill family arms shield with the Garter; assay mark

British memorial medal - Churchill Memorial Medal (HCR98968)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Wieslaw Antoni Pater, Edgar John Kohler

Dating

1965

Obverse

bust of Sir Winston Churchill facing, slightly to left

Reverse

The Rᵗ HON. SIR WINSTON SPENCER-CHURCHILL. K.G., O.M., C.H · 1874 1965: / HONI · SOIT · QUI · MAL · Y · PENSE · / TK&S, Churchill family arms shield with the Garter; assay mark

Italian memorial plaque - Churchill Memorial Plaque (HCR95067)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Alessandro Colombo, Damiano Colombo & Figli, Milan

Dating

1966

Obverse

WINSTON CHURCHILL / A. COLOMBO, bust of Sir Winston Churchill in siren suit to right

Russian commemorative medal - quatercentenary of the birth of William Shakespeare (HCR202033)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, I. Daragan

Dating

1966

Obverse

1564-1616 / The / Globe / ДАРАГАН 66, portrait of William Shakespeare, ¾ facing; in background, landscape with The Globe theatre

Reverse

Прекрасное прекрасней / во сто крат, / увенчанное правдой / драгоценной! / ВИЛЬЯМ / ШЕКСПИР / O- how much more doth beauty / beauteous seem / By that sweet ornament / which truth doth give!, inscriptions in Russian and English; from Shakespeare's 54th sonnet as translated into Russian by Samuil Marshak (1887-1964), and in the English

Russian commemorative medal - quatercentenary of the birth of William Shakespeare (HCR95955)

Period

Modern

Person

William Shakespeare, I. Daragan

Dating

1966

Obverse

1564-1616 / The / Globe / ДАРАГАН 66, portrait of William Shakespeare, ¾ facing; in background, landscape with The Globe theatre

Reverse

South African commemorative medal - Churchill and Smuts Commemorative Medal (HCR98631)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, A. Tromp, David MacGregor, Jan Smuts

Dating

1966

Obverse

WINSTON CHURCHILL 1874-1965, head of Sir Winston Churchill, left, in inner circle, legend and two laurel branches beside the dates outside

Reverse

JAN CHRISTIAAN SMUTS 1870-1950, head of Smuts to right, in inner circle, legend and two laurel branches beside the dates outside

South African commemorative medal - Churchill and Smuts Commemorative Medal (HCR98632)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, A. Tromp, David MacGregor, Jan Smuts

Dating

1966

Obverse

WINSTON CHURCHILL 1874-1965, head of Sir Winston Churchill, left, in inner circle, legend and two laurel branches beside the dates outside

Reverse

JAN CHRISTIAAN SMUTS 1870-1950, head of Smuts to right, in inner circle, legend and two laurel branches beside the dates outside

British commemorative medal - Churchill and the 25th Anniversary of the Atlantic Charter Commemorative Medal (HCR98683)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Michael Rizzello

Mint

Johnson, Matthey & Co., Ltd., London (Modern), John Pinches (Medallists) Ltd., London (Modern)

Dating

1966

Obverse

· WINSTON S. CHURCHILL · AUGUST 9th 1941 / RIZZELLO / C, full-length figure of Sir Winston Churchill seated on ship's deck facing slightly to left, right hand extended to Roosevelt

Reverse

THE ATLANTIC CHARTER / Placentia Bay Meeting / 25ᵗʰ ANNIVERSARY, Battleship H. M. S. "Prince of Wales" to left in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the 25th Anniversary of the Atlantic Charter Commemorative Medal (HCR98684)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Michael Rizzello

Mint

Johnson, Matthey & Co., Ltd., London (Modern), John Pinches (Medallists) Ltd., London (Modern)

Dating

1966

Obverse

· FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT · AUGUST 9th 1941 / RIZZELLO / C, full-length figure of Franklin D. Roosevelt seated on ship's deck facing slightly to right, right hand extended to Churchill

Reverse

THE ATLANTIC CHARTER / Placentia Bay Meeting / 25ᵗʰ ANNIVERSARY, Battleship H. M. S. "Prince of Wales" to left in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland

British commemorative medal - Churchill and the 25th Anniversary of the Atlantic Charter Commemorative Medal (HCR98685)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Michael Rizzello

Mint

Johnson, Matthey & Co., Ltd., London (Modern), John Pinches (Medallists) Ltd., London (Modern)

Dating

1966

Obverse

· WINSTON S. CHURCHILL · AUGUST 9th 1941 / RIZZELLO / C, full-length figure of Sir Winston Churchill seated on ship's deck facing slightly to left, right hand extended to Roosevelt

Reverse

THE ATLANTIC CHARTER / PLACENTIA BAY MEETING / 25ᵗʰ ANNIVERSARY, Battleship H. M. S. "Prince of Wales" to left in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the 25th Anniversary of the Atlantic Charter Commemorative Medal (HCR98686)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Michael Rizzello

Mint

Johnson, Matthey & Co., Ltd., London (Modern), John Pinches (Medallists) Ltd., London (Modern)

Dating

1966

Obverse

· FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT · AUGUST 9th 1941 / RIZZELLO / C, full-length figure of Franklin D. Roosevelt seated on ship's deck facing slightly to right, right hand extended to Churchill

Reverse

THE ATLANTIC CHARTER / Placentia Bay Meeting / 25ᵗʰ ANNIVERSARY, Battleship H. M. S. "Prince of Wales" to left in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland

American memorial medal - Churchill Memorial Medal (HCR98942)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Rolf Beck

Dating

1966

Obverse

SIR WINSTON S. CHURCHILL / 1874 / 1965, bust of Sir Winston Churchill facing, slightly to left

Reverse

NEVER ... WAS SO MUCH OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW / CCS-66, Allied military cemetery with grassy foreground, rows of grave-marker crosses, clouds, treeline, British, French and American flags in background; Churchill quotation

American memorial medal - Churchill Memorial Medal (HCR98971)

Period

Modern

Person

Sir Winston Churchill, Rolf Beck

Dating

1966

Obverse

SIR WINSTON S. CHURCHILL / 1874 / 1965, bust of Sir Winston Churchill facing, slightly to left

Reverse