Historical Medals

Royal Society, 1897/1889, Davy Medal, a bronze award by F. Bowcher for Spink, crowned laureate bust left [from the Diamond Jubilee Medal], rev. inscription and date in 13 lines, the royal society to william henry perkin frs in accordance with the will of humphry davy who devoted the testimonial presented to him by the coalowners of the tyne and wear to the encouragement of chemical research, 1889, 51mm (W & E –; BHM –). Extremely fine with traces of original colour, presumably excessively rare £200-£300

Sir William Henry Perkin FRS (12 March 1838 – 14 July 1907) was a British chemist and entrepreneur best known for his accidental discovery of the first commercial synthetic organic dye, mauvein, in 1856.