1864 British India EXHIBITOR'S MEDAL by W. Wyon

Pudd. 864.6.2 in 'Medals of British India'-Volume 1, THIS IS THE PLATE SPECIMEN.

British India EXHIBITOR'S MEDAL for the CALCUTTA AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION 1864 with the ERROR LEGEND "FID. DEI." A bronze medal probably struck at the Calcutta Mint 142 years ago. Medal was designed by William Wyon and has his signature below bust.

ERROR VERSION. This is the version of the medal with the incorrect legend on the obverse: FID. DEI. (God of the Faith). Medal also appears with the correct legend: FID: DEF: (Defender of the Faith) and a second legend: IND. IMP. (Empress of India).

Obverse: Diademed Wyon head of Queen Victoria, left. Around border: VICTORIA D: G: BRIT: REG: FID: DEI: (Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of the Britains, God of the Faith?). Signed: W WYON R.A.

Reverse: Within a laurel wreath: CALCUTTA / AGRICULTURAL / EXHIBITION / EXHIBITOR'S / MEDAL / 1864

An early British India exhibition medal held in Calcutta in 1864, at that time Calcutta was the focal point of northern India. The first of the large exhibitions were held in India in the mid-1850s. The uprising of 1857 put a damper on exhibitions and shows for some years and the Calcutta 1864 Exhibition was one of a wave of exhibitions in the mid-1860s. Exhibition medals at that time were made in small mintages, in hundreds, not thousands and this Exhibitor's medal appears to have been in bronze only, no silver or gold medals have been discovered as yet. Diameter is 43mm and edge is plain