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Mint:
London
Ruler:
George V (1910-36)
State:
United Kingdom
Ruler:
GEORGIUS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND IMP:
(With the title of)
British medals for polar exploration were first issued in 1857, though their issue was not confined to British explorers, and was also made to civilians. This design was first issued in 1904.
The bar for 1910-1913 on this medal indicates that the recipient, whose name is not known, was one of the landing party in the fatal expedition of Captain Scott to the South Pole. Only four such medals were issued in bronze. Furthermore, the second bar was awarded to members of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition under Sir Ernest Shackleton. Sources suggest that only two of the men on that voyage held a bronze medal for a previous expedition, but which of them this medal belonged to, if it has not been tampered with or as has been suggested is only a proof issue, is unknown.
Lester Watson purchased the medal from the London dealer Baldwin in 1927.
History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Baldwin 1927
Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009
Diameter: 33.5 mm
Weight: 33.45 g
Method of acquisition: Given (2009) by Watson, Lester
1913 - 1916
Inscription present: Bust of George facing left
Inscription present: Explorers arrayed in foreground with icebound ship behind
Accession number: CM.1142-2009
Primary reference Number: 141236
Watson Catalogue: 27
Ordering: M-0025
Previous object number: LW.0025
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Coins and Medals
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Polar Medal" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141236 Accessed: 2024-04-23 14:42:09
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141236
|title=Polar Medal
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-04-23 14:42:09|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-141236
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0025_281_29.jpg"
alt="Polar Medal"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Polar Medal</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
Accession Number: CM.1143-2009
Accession Number: CM.1144-2009
Accession Number: CM.65-2012
Accession Number: CM.61-2012
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