Phil's photos with the keyword: Medallion

The union of English and Scottish thrones. The Union of England and Scotland Act 1603, (full title...... "An Act authorizing certain Commissioners of the realm of England to treat with Commissioners of Scotland, for the weal [an "olde English" word meaning wealth, health & prosperity] of both kingdoms.") was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of England enacted during the reign of King James I (who was also King James VI of Scotland). It appointed a commission led by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Ellesmere, to meet and negotiate with a commission which would be appointed by the Parliament of Scotland. The aim of the discussions was to look into the possibility of arranging a formal political union between England and Scotland, going beyond the existing Union of Crowns and to report back to Parliament. The commission was not effective, however, and similar subsequent proposals also fell flat. The two kingdoms were eventually united over a century later by the Acts of Union, 1707. This Sterling Silver "Trial" coin (A.K.A. "Test" or "Pattern" coin) was minted in 2003 as one of a number of proposed designs for the British version of the Euro. These coins were made in small quantities, often as "Piedforts" (double the thickness & weight of the standard version) and were not intended for circulation. The coins have been created for a variety of reasons, including sample coins for VIPs and for testing various designs and die cuts in the minting equipment. Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

A Sterling Silver £5 coin from Gibraltar, photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2. "England expects that every man will do his duty" was a signal sent by Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, from his flagship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence on 21 October 1805. Trafalgar was the decisive naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. It gave the United Kingdom control of the seas, removing all possibility of an invasion and conquest of Britain. Although there was much confusion surrounding the wording of the signal in the aftermath of the battle, the significance of the victory and Nelson's death during the battle led to the phrase becoming embedded in the English psyche and it has been regularly quoted, paraphrased and referenced up to the modern day. As the British fleet closed with the opposing combined fleets of France and Spain, Lord Nelson signalled all the necessary battle instructions to his ships. However, aware of the momentousness of events to come, Lord Nelson felt that something extra was required. He instructed his signal officer, Lieutenant John Pasco, to signal to the fleet as quickly as possible the message "England confides [i.e. is confident] that every man will do his duty." Pasco suggested to Nelson that "expects" be substituted for "confides" since the former word was in the signal book whereas "confides" would have to be spelt out letter-by-letter. Nelson agreed to the change (even though 'expects' gave a less trusting impression than 'confides'): Thus, at around 11:45 am on 21 October 1805, the most famous naval signal in British history was sent. The exact time the signal was sent is not known (one account puts it as early as 10:30) as the message was repeated throughout the fleet and logs would have been written up after the battle but Pasco puts it at "about a quarter to noon" and logs from other ships of the line also put it close to this time (Wikipedia).

The famous Round Table of the Arthurian legend with the names of King Arthur's knights and the sword Excalibur. This medallion, made in 2008, has a diameter of 40mm, is made of "base metal" (non-magnetic, so probably bronze or brass) and plated with Gold and "Fine" Silver. There is a "Mint mark" (next to Sir Geraint's name) which I don't recognize. See the previous photo for the other side of this coin / medallion. Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

A Gold & Silver-plated medallion depicting the legendary King Arthur of Camelot (see next photo for the reverse view and more details). Photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

A Gold & Silver coin / medallion issued to commemorate the introduction of the new Euro coinage that was released (except in the UK) into circulation on January 1st 2002. There is a different design for each country on the obverse of the medal (this is the French one.....see further down the page for the other side of this coin) and it depicts scenes and events from French history, a Gold €50 with the names of all the member countries and a Golden portrait of the Goddess Europa. The reverse design (pictured here) is common to all of the coins and depicts a map of Europe. This coin is made of pure ("fine") Silver with 24 carat / karat Gold gilding and weighs 20 grams (0.7 ounces). Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

A French Gold & Silver coin / medallion issued to commemorate the introduction of the new Euro coinage that was released into circulation on January 1st, 2002. The obverse of the medal (shown here) depicts scenes and events from French history, a Gold €50 with the names of all the member countries that have converted to the Euro and a Golden portrait of the Goddess Europa. It's reverse design (posted elsewhere in my "photostream") depicts a map of Europe. This coin is made of pure ("fine") Silver with 24 carat / karat Gold gilding and weighs 20 grams (0.7 ounces). Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

The 300 ft S.S. Gairsoppa was launched in 1919 by the British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd. of London, a company that got its start transporting mail between Calcutta and Rangoon. As World War II unfolded the United Kingdom enlisted the ship to help out with the war effort. Towards the beginning of the war (December of 1940), the ship was loaded full of supplies which included pig iron, tea and over 7 million ounces of silver in the form of ingots. Today the value of its cargo has been estimated at £150,000,000 and is believed to be one of the richest of any sunken vessel. On its trip from Calcutta to Britain the ship began to run low on fuel. It was forced to set a new course on the most direct route to port. As the ship headed towards the British Isles it was spotted by German aircraft which then relayed its position to a U-Boat which was in the area. The Gairsoppa was hit by a torpedo and later sunk on February 17, 1941, approximately 300 miles off the coast of Galway. Gairsoppa lay at a depth of some 2.9 miles (deeper even than the Titanic) on the bottom of the Atlantic for more than 70 years until it was finally recovered. In 2010 the British Government sought out the help of Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration to help locate the ship and try to recover the 110+ tons of precious silver. They succeeded in 2012 and ended up recovering nearly all of the sunken silver. After the success of their recovery the company decided to commemorate the ship and its rich history by producing a number of silver bars and coins minted with actual silver from the recovery. This is one of those coins. Camera Sony RX100: Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

"Freedom Girl" is the first medallion in the Silver Bullet Silver Shield series done with full creative control given to American sculptress Heidi Wastweet. Heidi is known for her images of strong and beautiful women, most notably "Pandora Defiant". Now she has created a new beauty for a new generation. Men have been known to fight to the death for women, treasure and freedom. Freedom Girl is a stunning combination of all three. Every aspect of Heidi's design brings out a gorgeous update of the classic Peace Dollar. The original Peace Dollar had her hair tied in a bun with an uncomfortable tiara perched on her head. Freedom Girl's hair is wild and free. Freedom Girl's parted lips and gaze of almost ecstasy looking forward to the future is so seductive, as Freedom should be. Even her shoulder arching forward brings out more emotion from this modern beauty. She is finished off with the modern cues of a hoop earring and a tattoo of the Trivium. (Edited & shortened extract from an article at The Numismatic Bibliomania Society) . This coin is created on the basis of the "Peace Dollar" which is regarded as one of the most beautiful coins in the world (struck by the U.S. mint after World War One to commemorate the "War to End All Wars"). These coins are made from 1 Troy ounce of 99.999% pure silver. The medieval Trivium design (on her shoulder) symbolizes the foundation for individual freedom from outside manipulation. These coins (A.K.A. "rounds" or "medallions") are not legal tender and have no "face value"....they are for collectors and investors in precious metals.

This Silver "Round" was designed by American sculptress Heidi Wastweet, the first in her new Latin series. The inscription translates as "Truth Is My Light" or "Truth Enlightens Me". Photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

The reverse / rear of the "Veritas Lux Mea" silver "Round" / "Medallion" designed by American sculptress Heidi Wastweet, the first in her new Latin series (see previous photo). Photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Freedom Girl is the first medallion in the Silver Bullet Silver Shield series done with full creative control given to American sculptress Heidi Wastweet. Heidi is known for her images of strong and beautiful women, most notably "Pandora Defiant". Now she has created a new beauty for a new generation. These coins are made from 1 Troy ounce of 99.999% pure silver and the 47 "bullets" in the design represent the element Silver, whose atomic number is 47 ("Silver Bullet" is also the name of the mint which produces these coins). The medieval Trivium design symbolizes the foundation for individual freedom from outside manipulation. These coins (A.K.A. "rounds" or "medallions" are not legal tender and have no "face value"....they are for collectors and investors in precious metals). Camera: Sony RX100