Historical and Art Medals, Numismatic Books

19th Century, Government School of Art, Sheffield, James Montgomery Medal, 1852, a bronze award medal by A. Borrel, bust right, rev. legend in wreath, 68mm (BHM –; BDM I, 224). Extremely fine, scarce (£60-80)

James Montgomery (1771-1854), b. Irvine, Ayrshire, took over the Sheffield Register in 1794, renaming it the Sheffield Iris, which he continued to edit until 1825. In later life he devoted himself to evangelism and penned over 400 hymns. The medal was subscribed to by the ladies of Sheffield as an annual prize