Description

George III. 1760-1820. Gold Medal 1765, 11.36 g. University of Cambridge, Browne Medal. By L. C. Wyon after L. Pingo. Bust, draped. ESSE ET VIDERI . D . GVLIELMVS BROWNE, EQVES. Rv. Kneeling figure, being crowned by Apollo, seated. ELECTVS COLL . MED . LOND . PRAESES A . S . 1765. In exergue: SVNT SVA PRAEMIA LAVDI. Edge: FREDERICK POLLOCK, TRINITY COLLEGE . 1866. 25.8 mm. Eimer cf. 711. BHM cf. 92. Pingo cf. 52. Sehr selten / Very rare. FDC / Mint State. Prachtexemplar / Cabinet piece. Im Originaletui / In original box.

From the auction Baldwin's of St James's 16, London, April 2018, lot 544.

Sir William Browne (1692-1774) was elected president of the Royal College of Physicians in 1765. The Browne Medals (also known as the Sir William Browne's Medals) are gold medals which since his death in 1774 have been awarded for annual undergraduate competitions in Latin and Greek poetry at the University of Cambridge.

The recipient, Sir Frederick Pollock, 3rd Baronet, PC (1845–1937), academic, retained his connection with Trinity College being elected Fellow in 1868 (Honourable Fellow, 1920). In 1871 he was admitted to the Bar and went on to write a series of books on the teaching of English Law. He was admitted to the Privy Council in 1911.

In 1857 the university decided that the prizes for Greek and Latin epigrams should be split and two smaller medals awarded. This was given Royal Approval in April 1858.

Only ten of these smaller medals were ever awarded (to nine recipients) as winners of both the Greek and Latin medals continued to receive the large medal. Of these ten small medal awards Pagan knew of only one survivor, oddly also for 1866, the award for a Greek epigram to a Thomas Moss. Awards of the smaller medal ceased in 1866. It is worth noting that the medal is indeed about half the weight of the earlier (and later) large-sized medal.