ENGLAND, Sir Francis Chantrey, 1846, a silver medal by W. Wyon for the Art Union of London, bust right, rev. James Watt seated left, a drawing of a plan resting on his lap, on which he rests a compass held in his right hand, from Chantrey’s sculptured memorial in Handsworth Church, Birmingham, edge impressed art-union of london 1843, 55mm, 75.35g (Beaulah 1; BHM 2227; BDM VIII, 683; E 1381). Extremely fine and richly toned, very rare; perhaps only 30 struck and awarded as prizes by the Union in 1847
£300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Silich Collection of Historical and Art Medals.

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Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey (1781-1841) was the leading portrait sculptor in Regency Britain. Intended as the first medal in the Art Union of London series and sanctioned in 1843, it was not until late in 1846 that Wyon, until then heavily involved in producing Indian campaign medals, was able to finalise a working set of dies. Medals were struck in two batches, in 1846 and 1847.