medal
- Museum number
- 1913,1204.83
- Description
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Bronze medal. (whole)
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Uniformed bust of Napoleon, right. (obverse)
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A British Man-of-War in full sail, another ship beyond. (reverse)
- Production date
- 1815
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 40.000 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Brown 1980 states:
Following his departure from Malmaison at the end of June 1815, Napoleon made for Rochefort on the Biscay coast. Captain Maitland in the 'Bellerophon' was cruising off the coast there with orders to prevent French ships putting to sea. Napoleon decided to seek negotiations with Maitland and was offered asylum on the 'Bellerophon'. The ship was brought to Torbay whilst negotiations proceeded. Despite public demand that he should be put on trial, the government eventually decided that exile on the island of St Helena would be more suitable, and Napoleon left for his six years' stay there on 26th July. The scene on the reverse of this medal refers to Napoleon's surrender to the English and his being brought to Torbay aboard the 'Bellerophon' prior to his banishment to St Helena.
One of Mudie's National Medals (see Brown 1 p256.1057) issued in 1820. The Ashmolean Museum has a mule of the obverse of this piece and the obverse of Brown 1 p183.756 (Mudie No. 22). Examples of this medal were struck in gold but no specimen has been met with. An example was, however, offered for sale in the Matthew Young Collection of 28th February 1840 (lot 246); the weight of this piece is given as 2 oz. 10 dwts. 5 grs.
Bibliography: Forrer, L. 'Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, etc.', Vol. London, Reprinted 1980, IV/187; Mudie, James. 'An historical and critical account of a grand series of National Medals', London, 1820, 37; Milford Haven, Admiral the Marquis of. 'British Naval Medals', London, 1919, 571; Sandwich, The Rt. Hon. the Earl of. 'British and Foreign medals relating to naval and maritime affairs', 2nd ed., London, 1950, PP/14.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated events
- Commemoration of: Surrender of Napoleon, 1815
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Department
- Money and Medals
- Registration number
- 1913,1204.83
- C&M catalogue number
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MB3 (Brown 1) (214) (884)
