George III. 1760-1820. Gold Medal 1808, 46.16 g. Christ's College, Cambridge, Porteus Medal. By J. Phillip. Bust, laureate, armoured and draped. GEORGIUS III . PIUS FORTIS DEFENSOR FIDEI. Rv. Gateway decorated with College arms. OB INSIGNE IN S . S . PUBLICE LEGENDIS ELOQUIUM. In exergue: COLL . CHRISTI PIETATIS ERGO, D . ALUMNUS OLIM BEILBY . LOND . 1808. Edge: HENRICUS RICARDUS VERRY. 42.1 mm. Eimer 991. BHM 632. Vorzüglich-FDC / About Uncirculated. Im Originaletui / In original box. Kleiner Stempelriss im Avers / Small die crack on obverse.

Purchased from Spink Numismatic Circular, London, August 2003, lot CM0608.

Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as God's House. In 1505, the college was granted a new royal charter, was given a substantial endowment by Lady Margaret Beaufort, and changed its name to Christ's College, becoming the twelfth of the Cambridge colleges to be founded in its current form. One of the notable alumni is Beilby Porteus (8 May 1731 - 13 May 1809), successively Bishop of Chester and of London, who was a Church of England reformer and a leading abolitionist in England. He was the first Anglican in a position of authority to seriously challenge the Church's position on slavery. Among the famous members were Charles Darwin and John Milton.