Brisbane 1897 Jubilee Medal

Wow that is a lovely medal/medallion from my home city of Brisbane. How did you come by it?

Wayne

It's listed in the 1983 medal catalogue "Australian Commemorative Medals and Medalets from 1788" by Les Carlisle, as number C1897/43. It comes in three known metals: gilded white-metal, gilded bronze and solid gold, mintage figures unknown. Looks like yours is a gilded bronze specimen. It was made by Melbourne company Stokes & Sons, as it says on the bottom of the obverse rim.

Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1897 occurred at the height of the "medal craze" here in Australia. Far more types commemorate her 60th than her 50th. Carlisle lists dozens of cities, towns and shires across the Australian colonies which struck medals commemorating the event. Most were made by the same manufacturer that made this piece.

The story of how such a piece came to be in Nova Scotia, on the far side of the world from its city of origin, would probably be just as interesting as the medal itself.