Great Britain: Great Exhibition: Prince Albert / Crystal Palace

Great Britain: Great Exhibition: Prince Albert / Crystal Palace

Form:

Circular. High relief.

By:

Allen & Moore

Date:

1851

Ref:

BHM: 2418 & 2419; Eimer: 1460; Laidlaw: 0462a;

Variations:

Size	Metal	Mass	Value
64.3 mm	White Metal	110 gm	$85
51.0 mm	White Metal	42.3 gm	$45

Edge:

Plain. Thickness 6.3 mm.

Obverse:

Within a wide raised decorated band round the rim, bare head of Prince Albert, right. Legend: "PRINCE ALBERT, CONSORT OF QUEEN VICTORIA." Signed: "ALLEN & MOORE" at the bottom

Reverse:

View of the exhibition building. Above: “THE INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION (in an arc) / LONDON, 1851.”. The exergue occupies almost half of the lower portion and there are minor differences between the larger and smaller medals.

Larger Medal: In middle of the exergue line: "ALLEN & MOORE F.ET D. BIRMM.." In the exergue: “PROPOSED BY H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT / THE BUILDING DESIGNED BY JOSEPH PAXTON ESQR. F.L.S. / ERECTED BY FOX, HENDERSON & CO. / THE MATERIALS ARE IRON AND GLASS; / LENGTH 1848 FEET; WIDTH 456 FEET; / HEIGHT OF PRINCIPAL ROOF 66 FEET. / HEIGHT OF TRANSEPT 108 FEET; / GLAZED SURFACE 900,000 SUP. FEET; / OCCUPIES 18 ACRES OF GROUND; / ESTIMATED VALUE / £150,000.”

Smaller Medal: On the exergue line: “ALLEN & MOORE (left) BIRMM. (right)”. In the exergue: “PROPOSED BY H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT, / DESIGNED BY JOSEPH PAXTON ESQ. F.L.S., / ERECTED BY FOX, HENDERSON & CO.. / LENGTH 1848 FEET, WIDTH 456 FEET, / HEIGHT OF PRINCIPAL ROOF 66 FEET, / HEIGHT OF TRANSEPT 108 FEET, / GLAZED SURFACE 900,000 SUP FEET, / OCCUPIES 18 ACRES / OF GROUND, / ESTIMATED VALUE £150,000. (in an arc)”.

Notes:

The Great Exhibition of 1851 was held inside an enormous structure of iron and glass known as the Crystal Palace specially built for the event in Hyde Park, London. The exhibition ran for five months, from May to October 1851, during which six million visitors attended the gigantic trade show where the latest technology and displays of artefacts from around the world were on display.

The idea of the Great Exhibition originated with Henry Cole, an artist and inventor. He obtained the support of Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, and the two of them organised the event which, because of its huge success, became the forerunner of many such exhibitions in the second half of the 19th century.

South Africa was represented by sixty exhibitors from the colonies of the Cape and Natal. Agricultural products, fruit, wood, minerals, animal skins, elephant tusks, ostrich plumes and eggs, and sea elephant oil were on display. There were also exhibits of native culture.