A Guide to the Exhibition of English MedalsBritish Museum. Department of Coins and Medals
History
A Guide to the Exhibition of English Medals
British Museum. Department of Coins and Medals
Medals -- Great Britain
After the battle of Busaco, Wellington retired for winter-quarters into
the Lines of Torres Vedras, which he entered 8 Oct. 1810; a position
which Massena, who commanded the "army of Portugal," found impregnable.
Wellington is naturally compared to Fabius Cunctator, whose delays
baffled Hannibal.
547. Battle of Salamanca and Entry into Madrid, 1812. _Obv._
Soldiers advancing r., towards mountains, up which ascend
horsemen and military train, against whom Victory l. hurls
lightnings. JULY XXII. MDCCCXII. SALAMANCA. MUDIE D. _Rev._
Wellington on horseback l., receiving garland from Spaniards.
THE BRITISH ARMY ENTERS MADRID. AVG. XII. MDCCCXII. BRENET F.
Copper. Size 1·6. By Brenet.
After the battle of Salamanca, in which Marmont was defeated by
Wellington, the latter, hearing that Joseph Bonaparte was threatening
his rear, turned upon him and pursued him to Madrid, which he entered
12 Aug. 1812. The French garrison surrendered, and 180 guns with 20,000
stand of arms were captured.
548. Victories up to Salamanca and Entry into Madrid, 1812.
_Obv._ Head of Wellington l., bare. LIEUT. GEN. MARQUIS
WELLINGTON K.B. &c. &c. MDCCCXII. T. WYON F. _Rev._ Column
inscribed with names of victories, and ornamented with shields
of England, Portugal, and Spain; around base, French arms and
standard. ENTER'D MADRID AUGUST XII. P. W. F. Copper. Size
1·75. By T. and P. Wyon.[39]
[39] The place occupied in medallic art in the 17th century by the
Roettier family has been filled during the present century by the
family of the Wyons. This family is of German origin, George Wyon,
the first member who visited England, being a native of Cologne, and
forming one of the suite of George I., to whose person he was attached
as Chief Goldsmith. He is said to have died in the West Indies. His
son George was apprenticed to Hemmings, the goldsmith of George II.,
and in 1772 executed for the City of London a silver cup which was
presented to John Wilkes, the "Patriot." In 1775 he was engaged at
the Soho mint near Birmingham, and died in 1796, leaving four sons,
the two eldest being Thomas and Peter, who acted together as a firm
of general die-engravers in Birmingham till 1800. In this year Thomas
came to London, and was employed in the Dept. of the Engraver of His
Majesty's Seals, and of which Dept. he became chief in 1816. He died
in 1830, surviving by many years his son, Thomas Wyon, jun., who at
the early age of 23 in 1815 was appointed Chief Engraver to the Mint,
and who in that capacity executed, among numerous medals, that for the
battle of Waterloo (No. 576) and also the great recoinage of 1816. T.
Wyon, jun., died in 1817. His brother Benjamin was appointed Chief
Engraver of His Majesty's Seals in 1831, and executed among other
works the Crimea medal (No. 597). He died in 1858, and was succeeded
in his appointment by his son, J. S. Wyon, who in conjunction with his
brother, A. B.
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