November 2020
DM Rare Coins Donates Rare Bronze Medal
to Museum in Great Britain
At the seminal moment of our new History in Medals series of articles, which are being designed to bring the history behind specific medals to life, we got the ball rolling by donating a rare medal to a new museum in England! The only stipulation I proposed to them was that both of us need to find a way to make the story exciting, and get the word out about the rich, fascinating, often misbegotten stories behind these metallic relics of history.
Thomas Bonser Crompton essentially invented the modern newspaper medium that we know today. He invented a new drying apparatus; a device so successful that he supplied London with its paper for decades in the 19th century. In other words, he was a big deal in his day. In 1858, when he passed away, an elegant, high-relief medal was issued in his honor, possibly available at the funeral. While it is signed by famous British engraver L.C. Wyon, no record of it exists in Wyon’s papers. In fact, this large and hefty piece is something of a mystery and was actually left out of the reference books on British medals.
Indeed, Crompton’s legacy itself seems to be shrouded in mystery, today. His name is not in any way synonymous with his craft. In fact, few people have ever heard of him, outside the small town of Farnworth, England. We are digging, but the fact is, we don’t have all the details yet on Crompton and how the death medal came about. A team of researchers is actively investigating in England, as preparations are underway to save Crompton’s estate, Rock Hall, and turn it in to a thriving community education center and museum. We will be bringing you more information when the feature article is released on our website, under the Research tab. Stay tuned!
Information on the Save Rock Hall project can be found at the following links:
Save Rock Hall Project
Save Rock Hall Facebook Page
