Ancient, Celtic, British, Irish and World Coins, Tokens, and Historical Medals

Trinity College, Cambridge, Wrangham prize, 1842, a gold medal by W. Wyon, Pythagoras seated right, with muse holding lyre to his left, reverse legend in wreath, unnamed, 38mm, 36.78gm (BHM 2062). Brilliant and practically as struck, very rare in gold; in original maroon fitted case (£200-250)

Francis Wrangham, FRS, MA, BA (1769-1842), classical scholar and writer; b. Raysthorpe, Malton, N. Yorks; matriculated from Magdalene College, Cambridge, 1786; entered Trinity Hall 1787; ordained as a priest July 1793; curate of the parish of Cobham, Surrey, 1794-5; vicar of Folkton and Hunmanby-with-Muston, Filey, 1795-1820; examining chaplain to Vernon Harcourt, Abp of York, 1814-34; Archdeacon of Cleveland and vicar of Thorpe Bassett, 1820-8; appointed fourth prebend at Chester Cathedral, 1825; vicar of Dodleston, Cheshire, 1828.

A ‘tall slight man of exceedingly gentle and attractive manners’ who revelled in society, Wrangham was said to have kept up ‘the elegant tastes of youth and college’ longer than any man. A constant advocate of Catholic emancipation, he published much on the subject and continued to maintain close contact with his alma mater at Trinity Hall, donating a portion of his library and endowing a prize with a gift of £100 shortly before his death on 27 Dec. 1842. A tablet to his memory can be seen in Chester Cathedral. Further biographical detail is sold with the lot.