Ancient, Celtic, British and World Coins, Tokens, Coin Weights and Historical Medals

Royal engineers, prize medal, specimen striking in bronze, published by Elkington, 54mm (BHM 2987 and note). Good very fine, very rare (£30-50)

Noted in Brown only from a bronze example in the Ashmolean Museum. Apparently the prize medal (in gold) was founded in 1874 for the best essay on a given subject in connection with military engineering. The medal, it appears, was discontinued in 1881, which implies that no more than seven or eight were ever awarded; doubtless the number of surviving examples is probably even smaller. Brown’s description errs in one respect, namely his description of the obverse as “two soldiers garbed in the antique manner lunging with spears..” The first figure is the god of war, Mars, and the second flying figure is intended to represent Minerva, a goddess associated with war but essentially the goddess of wisdom. The translation of the Latin legend confirms this clearly - the spear of Mars himself can accomplish little without the intelligence of Minerva.