103621 | GREAT BRITAIN. Victoria & Albert white metal Medal.

103621  |  GREAT BRITAIN. Victoria & Albert white metal Medal. Issued 1851 for the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace (49mm, 36.43 g, 12h). By Joseph Davis in Birmingham.

 

TO COMMEMORATE THE EXHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS / PROPOSED BY HRH PRINCE ALBERT & PATRONISED BY HMG MAJESTY THE QUEEN, jugate heads left of Victoria, diademed, and Albert // LENGTH OF THE BUILDING 1848 Ft WIDTH 456 Ft HEIGHT 66 Ft TRANSEPT 108 Ft / GLAZED SURFACE 900,000 Ft OCCUPIES NEARLY 21 ACs OF GROUND / 3300, IRON COLUMNS, 2224 GIRDERS, 1128 GALLy BEARERS / 205 MILES OF SASH BAR, VALUE £150000 / OPENED BY H.M.G. MAJESTY VICTORIA / MAY 1 1851, perspective view of the Crystal Palace; in exergue, four figures representing the continents snd with local attributes; scrolls bearing wreaths to left and right. Edge: Plain.

 

BHM 2435; Eimer –; Allen HP-B165 (RR); Taylor 165q; Eidlitz 785/82. Choice Mint State. Extremely mirrored and prooflike, with only lightly scattered hairlines—rather typical for the metal type. A rare and impressive dual-portrait piece.

 

The "Great Exhibition" was born following the successes of the Paris Exposition in 1849. With Great Britain wishing to exert her preeminence in the world of commerce and industry, a grand event was created in 1851, with an equally grand venue to host it. The Crystal Palace, a monumentally large cast iron and sheet glass structure built at Hyde Park contained the event, with nearly 1 million square feet of exhibition space. The specific theme of the gathering was to convey the latest developments in the Industrial Revolution, with numerous award medals handed out to the winners in various categories.

 

Upload: 17 June 2026.