Excellent Sterling Silver
and Enamel Football Medal
Decorated with
shamrocks
Hall marked Dublin
1942
Enlarge images.
We cannot
emphasise enough how important these wee silver
gems of Irish history are. They are all hall marked (see below) and often
stamped by provincial Irish silversmiths long since gone, and are therefore
firmly authenticated. They often show high skills of hand engraving,
for example Celtic interlacing, shamrocks, round towers, wolfhounds, harps
and other uniquely Irish symbols.
THEY ARE A GREAT
INVESTMENT - WILL NEVER BE PRODUCED AGAIN AND ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO
REPRODUCE/FAKE
UNIQUE and
RARE 67 Year Old Irish Sterling Silver Medal
IRISH STERLING
MEDALS
Late in the 15th
century the Dublin Guild of Goldsmiths was mentioned for the first time,
although it probably existed prior to that date. The earliest record of a
maker's mark and a town mark, occurred in the year 1605. Most provincial
towns had gold and silver smiths from early times. They produced both
church and domestic plate of superb design and workmanship.
Medals, medallions
and medalletes have been used for many centuries elsewhere in the world to
commemorate notable events and personalities, but, possibly because of our
history Ireland was late in
this field and it was not until late in the 18th century that medals were
produced in Ireland.
Most medals were
dye-struck, a space being left for an engraved inscription, but some of the
finer specimens were totally hand engraved.
William Stephen Mossop
(1751-1805) a Dublin
born self taught man, in the last quarter of that century
started to strike fine medals for a variety of purposes. Mossop's portrait
medals were reputed to be very good likenesses of their subjects.
Other well known Irish
medalists of the 19th century were William Woodhouse, John Jones, Parkes,
Wyons.
Ireland can be justly proud of its agricultural and farming
society medals. Pre-eminent among these organisations was the Dublin
Society, which, founded in 1731 'for improving husbandry, manufactures and other
useful arts and sciences', issued its first medals in 1763.
The occasions for
which the medals were issued were extremely varied and related to almost every
facet of Irish life and extended at times to matters abroad. The subjects covered included numerous
aspects of the professions, sciences, farming, horticulture, beekeeping, horse
breeding, manufacturing, religion, politics, elections, soldiering, universities
and on and on and on. A medal was
struck even on the death of the reknowned greyhound Master
McGrath!!
Nearer our own times
we have medals issued in 1966 to celebrate the Jubliee of the 1916 Rising with a
portrait of Padraic Pearse.
Irish medals have
fantastic imagery, from the Irish dancer, the tug-o'-war, the hurler, the
boxer, the snooker player, the cricket player, the harp, shamrock, Celtic
interlacing - all hand engraved in silver and sometimes with enamel
inserts. They often show a combination of classical and folksy design
unique to Ireland.
Irish sterling silver
medals are scarce and therefore would be a good investment for a discerning
collector.
The harp uncrowned, stamped by the Dublin
Goldsmiths Company, certified that the article was assayed and was found to meet
the standard fineness of 92.5 percent pure silver. The remaining 7.5 percent was an alloy
and , although the nature of this was never specified , copper has been the only
metal used for many centuries.
The maker’s mark identified the maker and
usually consisted of the initials of his name and surname. On some of the earlier articles, the
initials were accompanied by a sign or symbol such as a crown, a star, or an
animal. This mark was stamped by
the maker on each piece before sending it for assay.
The date letter was simply a letter of the
alphabet used to represent the year of assay and was stamped by the
wardens. In the early years, twenty
letters were used in a series to cover twenty years but this system was
discontinued after 1678. Each
letter series differed from the preceding series in style or perhaps in the
design of the shield within which the letters were struck. Consequently it is relatively easy to
distinguish, for instance, between the letter A as used for 1638 and that
employed for 1658. The use of a
date was not a requirement specified in the charter of the goldsmiths but
apparently was introduced by the Company in
1638.
The Hibernia mark consists of a seated
female figure holding a harp – a symbol of Hibernia, the Latin name for
Ireland. Originally a duty mark it
was introduced in 1730 and was stamped after assay on
every piece on which duty had been paid.
After 1807, it lost its significance as a duty
mark and is now regarded as the special mark or town mark of the Dublin
Goldsmiths Company.
Since 1890 only four special marks other
than the standard four hallmarks have been struck on Irish silver. For 1966 a “Jubilee
mark” was introduced only for that year to commemorate the fiftieth
anniversary of the Easter Rising of 1916.
Designed as a hand holding a flaming sword – in Irish “an
cláiomh solais” or “sword of light” – the mark bears the date 1916
to the right above and 1966 to the left below.
For 1973 a mark
consisting of an adjusted representation of a gold collar from Gleninsheen in
County Clare, dating to about 700 BC, enclosing the date 1973 was struck to
honour Ireland’s entry into the European Economic Community.
(Originally found in Co. Clare during
railway construction in 1854. A
solid sheet-gold cresentic plate
decorated collars with applied terminals )
For 1987, to commemorate the founding of
the Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin, and for 1988 to celebrate the Dublin City
Millennium, the representations of the arms of the Company and of the city,
respectively, were used.
Measures:
1.20" diameter.
Condition: Very Good - No
problems.
PLEASE NOTE
WORLD WIDE SHIPPING RATE
IF YOU LIVE ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND
DIVIDE THE RATE IN HALF.
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