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Lot

№ 54

.

8 September 2015

Hammer Price:
£1,000

Matthew Boulton’s Medal for Trafalgar 1805, white metal, reverse inscribed, ‘Thomas Lansdown Conqueror’, the medal mounted within a glazed gilt frame, with loop suspension, the medal itself shows significant damage (fire damage?), especially to the obverse, overall condition therefore fine £500-600

Ex D.N.W. 19 September 2013 - glazing replaced since last sold.

Thomas Lansdown was born in Olveston, Gloucestershire. He enlisted on 16 January 1796, aged 18 years, 5 months. Discharged 27 June 1814 - sick with consumption. Served on H.M.S.
Ambuscade, 1798-1802 and H.M.S. Conqueror, 1803-1814.

The medal is believed to have come out of a San Francisco boarding house in 1904 when it was given in lieu of rent. It was then held by the boarding house owner and succeeding family until the present day. It is interesting to speculate that the damage to the piece may have come about in the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. With copied roll extracts.