British and World Historical Medals

Battle of Waterloo, 1815, an original fine filled bronzed electrotype of the celebrated medal by B. Pistrucci, conjoined laureate busts of George, Prince Regent, Franz I of Austria, Alexander I of Russia and Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia within a circle of classical mythological figures, rev. Victory rides with Wellington and Blücher, border with Jupiter casting lightning bolts at battling giants, 133mm (Eimer 57; BHM 870; E 1067). As made; in box of issue [this a little rubbed] £1,000-1,500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals Associated with Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington.

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Illustration reduced. William Wellesley Pole, Master of the Mint and the Duke’s elder brother, invited designs from the Royal Academy for a gold medal intended to be given to the rulers of the Alliance, their generals and senior ministers. The Prince Regent, however, approved the design submitted by Pistrucci, an engraver at the Mint. Pistrucci was much involved with the new coinage of 1816 and it was not until 1819 that preparatory wax models were submitted for approval. Amazingly thirty years were to elapse before the dies were completed, by which time all of the intended recipients of the medal, with the sole exception of Wellington, had died. Electrotype copies, the majority with obverse and reverse not united, were eventually produced by William Hamilton in 1852