Historical Medals, Visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Sheffield and the Opening of Firth Park, 1875, medals for Mark Firth, Mayor of Sheffield (9), by J.W. Lewis, in white metal, 38mm (W & E –), by W. Ottley, in white metal, 51mm (W & E 1273A.1); unsigned (8), white metal, 39mm (W & E 1275A.1), white metal (2), both 38mm, one gilt, one plated (W & E 1277A.1, A.2), brass, gilt brass, bronzed brass (2), all 25mm (W & E 1281A.1, A.2, A.3; BHM 3003) [9]. Both W & E 1281A.3s fine, others very fine and better, first very rare; two with original ribbons £60-£80

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Sheffield Tokens and Paranumismatica formed by Tim Hale.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales travelled to Sheffield by a special train on 16 August 1875. Mark Firth (1819-80), Methodist and Liberal, master cutler 1867-9 and mayor of Sheffield 1874-5, the eldest of 10 children, established Thomas Firth & Sons, steelmakers, Norfolk Works, Savile street, in 1842. He gifted his 36-acre estate, Firth Park, to the town’s inhabitants in August 1875 and the opening ceremony, held on the afternoon of 16 August in a temporary enclosure, witnessed 15,000 local schoolchildren singing the National Anthem. Over the following year many improvements to the facility were made and a second ceremony was performed on 22 August 1876 to mark its completion