TOPIC:

[img]http://http://www.spink.com/files/lotMain/8012/8012_215_1.jpg

This is taken from Spink's archive for a sale on June 26th 2008, that I thought might be interesting. I have a bronze example not in it's original case, but a case which I had specially made to house it.

I quote below the information form the sale. The estimate was between £16,000.00 to £20,000.00

g THE CELEBRATED GOLD BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL 1901 BY BOWCHER Edward VII (1901-10), British Empire Medal; The Campaign in South Africa, large gold medal to commemorate the end of the Boer War, 1901, by F. Bowcher, 103mm., 790.38g, edward. vii. rex. et. i, crowned and draped bust left, allegorical figures of Justice, Peace and Industry in wide border around, view of London above, and Union shield in landscape below, rev. south africa above, virtvte et dvctv to right, General Roberts on horseback, Fame and Victory flying above, pax qvaeritur bello 1901 in exergue (BHM 3735, Eimer 1859; Forrer V, 642), extremely fine, extremely rare, marked No. 3 on edge Estimate £ 16,000-20,000 Provenance Christie''s, 8 October 1991, lot 370 The Palace Collections of Egypt, Sotheby & Co, Cairo, 24 February to 3 March 1954, lot 2652 The Illustrated London News 8 March 1902, states ''The British Empire Medal is about to be issued by Spink. Frank Bowcher prepared the models... the King gave a sitting. An issue of 212 copies is contemplated in gold, silver and bronze.'' Forrer states two examples were struck in gold. The fact that this medal is numbered 3 on the edge might indicate that a third was later made to order for King Farouk of Egypt. This is one of two very large medals by Bowcher that were struck by Spink. The other, for the Coronation of George V, was also struck in gold. In the sale of the collections of King Farouk in Cairo in 1954, gold examples of both these medals were offered, as lots 2652 and 2653. They sold for £435 and £425 respectively. The gold Coronation Medal, lot 2653, was sold in these rooms, Spink auction 186, 30 November 2006, lot 527.

Sold for £17,000

A extremely rare item indeed.



TheBreaker02

Hi
I always thought that there was only one in gold, 50 in silver and 200 in bronze.
In the early 1990's an example in gold was offered to me for R60 000- : I thanked the vendor but politely declined the offer.

Henk Loots

Hello,

A very interesting item, I bet your kicking yourself now, even by today's rate that's about £4,300.00. Have seen a few examples of the silver medallion, back in the 1980's at London coin fairs at between £500.00 and £600.00

Regards.

TheBreaker02

Just to follow up on my previous post, the number of medallions minted was, 2 or most likely 3 in Gold, 50 in silver and 150 in bronze.

TheBreaker02

I would say that just the Gold value in this Medallion would set someone back quite a bit. My guess, if one came on the market today, it would go for +- £30,000 to £40,000. Just a guess

Regards
Anthony Govender

I'm sure your right, but bear in mind only 2 or 3 of there were issued, so if that's the cases what would the silver and bronze one's came on to the market.

Best regards,

TheBreaker02