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Auction: 25360 - The 360th Anniversary Sale
Lot: 14

PRINCE ALBERT'S PERSONAL AWARD TO ROYAL COMMISSIONERS FOR THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851

NGC MS60 | Prince Consort's Medal, 1845 [struck October 1851], in GOLD, His Royal Highness' Personal Award to Royal Commissioners for the Great Exhibition of 1851, engraved by William Wyon for the Royal Mint, ALBERTUS PRINCEPS VICTORIAE REGINAE CONJUX. 1845. bare head right, rev. TREU UND FEST, in gothic script, St. George and Dragon poised in mortal combat left, edge plain but for presentation engraving: CHARLES WENTWORTH DILKE ESQ. 1851, 56.1mm, 139.17g, 12h (RCIN 2082378 [Glass Plate Negative]; RCIN 443372 [Silver, Lunettes]; Eimer 1398; BHM 2204).
With minor contact marks, otherwise brilliant, a bold extremely fine and excessively rare; a superbly well-documented award to a unsung champion of the 1851 Great Exhibition, and rendered by Britain's most celebrated numismatic artist just DAYS before his own untimely death; of NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE thus, in NGC holder, graded MS60 (Cert. #8534304-001).

The medal was commissioned by Prince Albert for presentation purposes and fifty specimens were struck, mostly in bronze. This piece is one of eleven examples struck in gold and is inscribed on the edge to CHARLES WENTWORTH DILKE ESQ 1851. Dilke was one of the first to propose the Great Exhibition of 1851 and was the most hard working of the executive committee to whom these medals were presented.

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (26 August 1819 - 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria. As such, he was consort of the British monarch from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his death in 1861. Victoria granted him the title Prince Consort in 1857.

This piece occurs on thick (5 mm) and thin (4 mm) flans and was commissioned by Prince Albert who sat for the modelling of the portrait. The drawing of the horse was taken from Prince Albert's favourite horse "Imaum"'.

There exists an example of this medal struck in gold which bears the edge inscription in engraved capitals CHARLES WENT-WORTH DILKE ESQ. The inscription refers to Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, 1st Baronet (18 February 1810 - 10 May 1869), who was an English art patron, horticulturalist and Whig politician.

This piece is one of eleven examples which were intended to be given by Prince Albert to those who had helped him in the organisation of the Great Exhibition.

The Royal Archives contain the file copy of Prince Albert's letter in his own hand to Dilke (RA F25/27) in which he writes 'My dear Sir, Now that the Exhibition has closed its happy career allow me to express to you, as one of those who stood by its cradle, helped in its education and served it truly and zealously after it had been brought to maturity my sense of the assiduity and ability with which you have discharged the various duties entrusted to you. It was my intention as a remembrance of our personal connexion in this work to have presented you this day with a medal, I hope still to do so, though disappointed for the moment by the illness of Mr. Wyon which has prevented its being completed. I could not however delay my acknowledgements beyond today. Believe me always, yours truly, A. W.C. 15/10/51".



WHITEHALL, January 16, 1862.

The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Baronet of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland unto Charles Wentworth Dilke, the younger, of Sloane Street, in the county of Middlesex, Esquire, and the heirs-male
of his body lawfully begotten.



Windsor Castle, Monday 13 November 1843
"His Royal Highness Prince Albert honoured Mr Wyon, R.A. of the Royal Mint, with a sitting for the portrait of his Royal Highness for a medal."



Windsor Castle, Wednesday, 27 November 1844
"His Royal Highness Prince Albert honoured Mr Wyon of the Royal Mint, with a sitting for the portrait of his Royal Highness for a medal."



Provenance

From the Baumhauer Collection of British Medals

SCMB, May 1983, U127* - £1,950

Sir John Fisher Wentworth Dilke, 5th Baronet, by private treaty with Seaby

Sir Fisher Wentworth Dilke, 4th Baronet (1877–1944)

Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, 3rd Baronet (1874–1918)

Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, 2nd Baronet (1843–1911)

Presented by HRH Prince Albert to Charles Wentworth Dilke (1810–1869) in October 1851



Prince Albert sat for the portrait on this medal and his favourite horse ‘Imaum’ was used by Wyon as the model for the reverse design.

Reputedly only 50 medals were struck, of which eleven were rendered in Gold and the rest Copper or Silver. Most examples were presented with a matte finish with integral lunettes, however examples struck on polished planchets as stand-alone awards are also known in all three metals. In 1876, William's son Leonard Charles Wyon repurposed the design for a Pattern Halfcrown.



https://www.ngccoin.uk/certlookup/8534304-001/60/

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Estimate
£30,000 to £50,000

Starting price
£30000