medal
- Museum number
- M.4796
- Description
-
Bronze medal. (whole)
-
Bust of William Pitt, Lord Chatham right, hair long, wearing frock coat. (obverse)
- Production date
- 1773
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 25.000 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Brown 1980 states:
William Pitt, first Earl of Chatham (1708-78), statesman. Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford, he was dismissed from the army for his sarcastic speech on the marriage of the Prince of Wales. Pitt entered Parliament in 1735 as member for Old Sarum and became paymaster of the forces in May 1746, where he created a precedent by declining to speculate with the large sums of money that passed through his hands; in 1756 he became Secretary of State. Britain's military successes in Canada during the latter half of the eighteenth century were largely due to Pitt's considerable ability as War Minister, which was only surpassed by his brilliance as an orator. He accepted an earldom in 1766 and became Lord Privy Seal in the same year. See also Brown 1 p38.166.
Bibliography: Betts, C. Wyllys, 'American Colonial History illustrated by contemporary medals', New York, 1894, 522; Grueber, H. A., English Personal Medals for 1760, 'Numismatic Chronicle', third series vol. X 1890/53.
- Location
- Not on display
- Department
- Coins and Medals
- Registration number
- M.4796
- C&M catalogue number
-
MB3 (Brown 1) (40) (175)
