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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 (HCR95786)

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 (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 (HCR139166)

Period

Modern

Person

W. Eberbach

Mint

Stuttgart (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

ENGLISCHE FLAGGENEHRE / 1914 / W. EBERBACH, nude female figure kneeling above ships to right, wearing mask on back of head, holding flag consisting of flags of various countries

Reverse

ARTHUR.BALFOUR / DEM. ERSTEN.LORD.DER / GROSSBRITANNISCHEN / ADMIRALITÆT, submarine underway to right

Silver medal of German Empire (HCR139174)

Period

Modern

Person

Rudolf Kube

Mint

Berlin (Germany)

Dating

1914

Obverse

GOTT SEGNETE DIE VEREINIGTEN HEERE, Victory holding a flaming sword and victor's laurel wreath crown

Silver medal of German Empire (HCR139175)

Period

Modern

Person

Rudolf Kube

Mint

Berlin (Germany)

Dating

1914

Obverse

GOTT SEGNETE DIE VEREINIGTEN HEERE, Victory holding a flaming sword and victor's laurel wreath crown

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139176)

Period

Modern

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

SEPTEMBER- -- VERTRAG . 1914 / K G, Bear (Russia) with feather pen signing contract reading: WIR SCHLIESSEN / KEINEN SEPARAT / FRIE DEN /(Signatures of "Swolsky / Delcasse / Grey"); head of bull dog (Great Britain) and rooster (France) in background

Reverse

WIR . WERDEN . SCHON . FERTIG . MITEINANDER, A bear (Russia), a bull dog (Great Britain and a rooster (France) fighting each other

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139179)

Period

Modern

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

Reverse

WIR . WERDEN . SCHON . FERTIG . MITEINANDER, A bear (Russia), a bull dog (Great Britain and a rooster (France) fighting each other

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139181)

Period

Modern

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

GENERALOBERST . VON . HINDENBVRG, facing bust slightly to right

Reverse

DIE . RUSSISCHE . NAREW . ARMEE . VERNICHTET / in exergue, 28;31. AVGVST / IN.DEN.SEEN.MASVRENS, Russian soldier on horse riding into lake, to left; with several more Russian horsemen in lake in background

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139182)

Period

Modern

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

ALL RIGHT! -- WEITER ZUM -- KRIEGSSCHAUPLATZ / K G, large male figure, bent over to left, wearing traditional Scottish clothing: kilt with sporran on side, knee high socks; also pipe in mouth; figure is embracing Indian elephant with rider on back, catching elephant's faeces

Reverse

VIVE LES ANGLAIS / NOUS SOMMES SAUVÉ[S] / 191 / on banner, GRAND ATTRACTION / DES INDIERS / MARSEILLES, male figure, wearing traditional Indian turban, walking towards viewer, holding banner; in background: decorated scaffolding

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139183)

Period

Modern

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

MAXIMILIAN . GRAF . VON . SPEE . VIZEADMIRAL, bearded bust of v. Spee, facing, slightly to right

Reverse

SEESCHLACHT . BEI . SANTA. MARIA . 1 . NOV . / in field, 19 -- 14 / K. G., seated eagle on back of sea creature in sea

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139186)

Period

Modern

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

battle scene between eagle (Germany) and triple-headed animal (Triple Entente)

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139187)

Period

Modern

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

RVPPRECHT . KRON -- PRINZ . VON . BAYERN / K. GOETZ, bust to right wearing spiked helmet

Reverse

SCHLACHT IN LOTH -- RINGEN, lion (Bavaria) standing on top of defeated rooster (France); with column in background reading: SIEG.BEI / DIEVZE / XX. AVG. / MCMX. / .IV.

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139195)

Period

Modern

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

MEIN . REICH . IST . NIT . VON . DIESER . WELT / in field, BENE / DIC / TVS / XV / K. G, The Pope, sitting on throne to right; background: Death with sickle riding a bull

Reverse

ANBIEDERVNG 1914, The Pope in a boat fishing with a net being offered a bag of money by British representative

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139196)

Period

Modern

Person

Arthur Galambos

Mint

Berlin (Germany)

Dating

1914

Obverse

ICH KENNE KEINE PARTEIEN MEHR ICH KENNE NUR DEUTSCHE 4.8.1914, helmeted bust to right

Reverse

IN AUFGE:DRUNGENER / NOTWEHR MIT REINEM / GEWISSEN UND REINER / HAND ER GREIFEN / WIR DAS SCHWERT, sword divides legend

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139202)

Period

Modern

Person

A. Loewenthal

Mint

Berlin (Germany)

Dating

1914

Obverse

FRANZ . JOSEF . I . -- WILHELM . II ., jugate busts to left

Reverse

EIN -- ENDE -- ALLER -- TÜCKE, Herakles and Iolaos fighting the Hydra of Lerna

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139204)

Period

Modern

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1914

Obverse

DELCASSE - GREY - J SWOLSKY - SALAN -- DRA / BRADSTIFTER / - KOLLEGIVM - . / K G, four facing busts (Delcasse, Grey, Swolsky and Salandra); Grey holding shield with portrait of crowned male individual with his r. hand in front of Delcasse, who is facing right whereas other men are facing

Reverse

DER LVGENFELDZVG -- DES . VIERVERBANDS / in field, 1914, an emaciated female figure on a chariot, to right; playing brass instrument with right hand, holding leaflet in left hand (three more falling to ground) reading: (1.) REVOLUTION IN BERLIN; (2.) DEUTSCHLAND / AM / HUNGER / TUCH; (3.) DER DOM / ZU REIMS / IN TRUM- / MER (4.) DER / BARBAREN / ENDE; front of chariot reads: SIEGES- / ZVG . NACH / BERLIN / WIEN / [K]ONSTANT[IN]OPEL; chariot with emaciated figure placed on top of Prussian spiked helmets

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

Bronze medal of German Empire (HCR139165)

Period

Person

Karl Goetz

Mint

Munich (Modern)

Dating

1915

Obverse

ALFRED . VON . TIRPITZ . -- GROSSADMIRAL, bearded bust slightly to left

Reverse

GOTT . STRAFE -- ENGL -- AND . 18. FEBRVAR . 1915 / K. GOETZ, scene at sea: background: a submarine, a sinking steamer and ship under sail; foreground: Neptune seated on the conning tower of a submarine with tripod in left hand, right fist raised to sky