Lot 710

Description

Port Phillip Academical Institution, 1844, handcrafted prize medal in silver (37mm), engraved on obverse 'Port Phillip Academical Institution / Established / Augst.1st / 1844', and on reverse, '2nd Prize Geography / for « year / Ending 31st / Decr 1844 / Mastr W.Williamson'; together with, medalet in white metal (27mm), obverse, view of Bruce Castle, reverse, All is the Gift of Industry around, and inscribed within tablet 'W.Williamson'. First medal housed in a small circular wooden box. Extremely fine. (2)

The handcrafted medal to W.R.Williamson is the earliest surviving numismatic production of the Port Phillip district by at least five or more years. Almost certainly made by lathe tooling an English crown flat and adding two peripheral ornamental grooves. For further research on this important medal see 'A Pioneer Piece of Port Phillip' by Dr J.M.Chapman in the Australian Numismatist, 1994, pages 3-12.