Medal — Waterloo medal, Wyon, Thomas, Great Britain, 1815
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1815
Medal — Waterloo medal, Wyon, Thomas, Great Britain, 1815 is an object recorded by Victoria and Albert Museum, dated 1815. The museum's brief description reads: Waterloo medal presented to Corporal Richard Cart of the Royal Horse Guards, 1815.
Museum description: Silver round medal attached to a metal buckle with a red and blue ribbon. The medal is inscribed on the obverse with the profile of George IV (then Prince Regent) circled with the words 'GEORGE P. REGENT'. The reverse is inscribed with the figure of Victory and the words 'WELLINGTON WATERLOO JUNE 18 1815'. The museum record gives material recorded as silver, silk; measurements Height 8.0 cm; Width 4.1 cm; Depth 0.3 cm; Diameter 3.6 cm; place associated: Great Britain; maker recorded: Wyon, Thomas.
These details come from the holding museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
This Waterloo medal was awarded to Richard Cart, who served in the Royal Horse Guards. His grandson, Richard D'Oyly Carte, was a theatre impresario responsible for the financial support of the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, including the formation of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and the founding of the Savoy Theatre. The Waterloo medal was designed by Thomas Wyon, who adapted the design of a Greek coin of Elis. The medal was conferred upon the 39,000 soldiers who fought in the Battle of Ligny, the Battle of Quatre Bras and the Battle of Waterloo, and was the first medal awarded by the British Government to all soldiers present at an action.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- silver, silk
- Dimensions
- Height 8.0 cm; Width 4.1 cm; Depth 0.3 cm; Diameter 3.6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Struck silver
- Maker recorded
- Wyon, Thomas
- Place recorded
- Great Britain
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- Obverse: 'GEORGE P. REGENT' Reverse: 'WELLINGTON WATERLOO JUNE 18 1815'
Identification
- Museum attribution
- Wyon, Thomas
- Museum object name
- Medal
- Museum object number
- S.666-2016
- Museum system number
- O1373107
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm materials, dimensions, maker and wider type against the museum record and a specialist reference.