Details
ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE BACK (1796-1878)
Arctic medal 1818-1855, with silver ribband buckle, in fitted Hunt & Roskell case. Extremely fine.
Provenance: Admiral Sir George Back. The medal was awarded 'For Arctic Discoveries'. In general the recipients of this Arctic medal were not named on the medals, but Hunt & Roskell specialised in engraving their name on the medal at a later date. This example however is not engraved.
[With:]
BRASS MEDALLION FROM BACK'S FINAL ARCTIC VOYAGE in 1836-1837, 31mm. diameter. Obverse: seated Britannia, her right arm outsretched holding an olive branch; reverse: a crown surmounting the legend 'H.M.S.Terror Captn. Back 1836'.
Provenance: Admiral Sir George Back. A rare example of the medal which was carried on Back's 1836-37 expedition to give to native tribes encountered during the journey. Back tells of giving these medals to Eskimo, along with other gifts, in his Narrative of an Expedition in HM's Ship Terror, in the Years 1836-7 (1838, p.416): "Four noisy natives of the Esquimaux race had the hardihood to venture through much difficult ice to the ship, from whence, however, they returned amply rewarded, and the richest of their tribe. Some of the presents, supplied for that purpose by government, were given to them, together with a few brass medals, having the ship's name on one side, and a figure of Britannia on the other." (2)
Arctic medal 1818-1855, with silver ribband buckle, in fitted Hunt & Roskell case. Extremely fine.
Provenance: Admiral Sir George Back. The medal was awarded 'For Arctic Discoveries'. In general the recipients of this Arctic medal were not named on the medals, but Hunt & Roskell specialised in engraving their name on the medal at a later date. This example however is not engraved.
[With:]
BRASS MEDALLION FROM BACK'S FINAL ARCTIC VOYAGE in 1836-1837, 31mm. diameter. Obverse: seated Britannia, her right arm outsretched holding an olive branch; reverse: a crown surmounting the legend 'H.M.S.Terror Captn. Back 1836'.
Provenance: Admiral Sir George Back. A rare example of the medal which was carried on Back's 1836-37 expedition to give to native tribes encountered during the journey. Back tells of giving these medals to Eskimo, along with other gifts, in his Narrative of an Expedition in HM's Ship Terror, in the Years 1836-7 (1838, p.416): "Four noisy natives of the Esquimaux race had the hardihood to venture through much difficult ice to the ship, from whence, however, they returned amply rewarded, and the richest of their tribe. Some of the presents, supplied for that purpose by government, were given to them, together with a few brass medals, having the ship's name on one side, and a figure of Britannia on the other." (2)