Coronation medal of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
George William de Saulles (1862 - 1903)
Category
Coins and medals
Date
1902
Materials
Gold
Measurements
555 mm (Diameter)
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Osterley Park and House, London
NT 773324
Summary
Gold, Coronation medal of King Edward VII (1851-1910) and Queen Alexandra (1844-1925), by George William de Saulles (1862-1903), struck Royal Mint, London, United Kingdom, 1902. A gold medal designed by George William de Saulles, the official medal issued by the Royal Mint to commemorate the Coronation on 9 August 1902 of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The obverse depicts Edward VII, facing right, crowned and in coronation robes, wearing the collar of the Garter and the Sovereign’s Badge of the Order of the Bath. Bound branches of laurel lying along the bottom edge. The reverse has Queen Alexandra, crowned and in profile facing right, with below a banner bearing the date of the ceremony.
Full description
King Edward VII succeeded to the throne on the death of his mother Victoria on 22 January 1901, but was not formally crowned until 9 August 1902. The coronation ceremony was originally scheduled for 26 June 1902, but having been taken seriously ill with perityphlitis, the King was required to undergo an operation and to convalesce. The rescheduled ceremony in Westminster Abbey was shortened, so as not to overtax the monarch who, following the service, returned to Buckingham Palace by an extended route by way of Whitehall, Pall Mall, Piccadilly and Constitution Hill. The official Coronation Medal, the dies were originally dated 26 June and a large number had already been struck in both gold and silver. Most were returned for melting, but a very few specimens survive with the original date. The new dies for the revised Coronation date remained in use until 31 March 1903, when the issue of Coronation medals ceased. The gold and silver versions were issued in two sizes, 30 mm. and 55mm. diameter, whilst the bronze version was only available in the large size. The large gold version, 878 of which were issued, sold for £13. Jeremy Warren 2019
Provenance
Given to the National Trust in 1993 by George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (1910-1998).
Marks and inscriptions
Obverse, legend: EDWARD VII CROWNED 9. AUGUST 1902 Reverse, legend: ALEXANDRA QUEEN CONSORT. Reverse, banner: 9. AUG. 1902
Makers and roles
George William de Saulles (1862 - 1903), medallist The Royal Mint, minter
References
Wollaston 1978: Henry Wollaston, The Commemorative Collectors Guide to British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees, Nottingham 1978, p. 13, no. 8. Brown 1995: Laurence Brown, A Catalogue of British Historical Medals 1760-1960. Volume III. The Accession of Edward VII to 1960, London 1995, pp. 15-16, no. 3737. Mitchiner 1988-2007: Michael Mitchiner, Jetons, Medalets and Tokens, 4 vols., London 1988-2007, vol. IV (British Isles from circa 1830), 2007, p.2673, no. 126.7 (8816). Eimer 2010: Christopher Eimer, British Commemorative Medals and their Values, London 2010, p. 245, no. 1870, Pls. 208-209. Cumbers and Whittlestone 2017: John Cumbers and Andrew Whittlestone, Royal Commemorative Medals 1837-1977. Vol. 4, Edward VII 1901-1910, Llanfyllin 2017, p. 18, no. 4100.