SPECIAL MEDALS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20096, 1 May 1935, Page 5

SPECIAL MEDALS

KING APPROVES ISSUE To commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of his accession to the throne, His Majesty King George has approved the issue by the Royal Mint of a special Silver Jubilee medal in two sizes. It is not contemplated that the medals should be used for general presentation purposes, although there would *be no objection to their use as prizes at sports and other celebrations connected with the Jubilee. The designs were prepared by Mr Percy Metcalfe, special sittings having been graciously granted by Their Majesties for the heads of the King and Queen which appear jn profile on the obverse, together with the inscription “VI MAII MCMX MCMXXXV.” On the reverse side of each medal appears a very distinctive reproduction of the famous Round Tower, the dominating feature of Windsor Castle, the principal residence of the Royal House of Windsor. It stands on a high mound whereon the first substantial building erected was the Rose Tower built by Edward 111., and in which the King convened a “Round Table” after the manner of the mythical King Arthur.

The tower was raised to its present elevation during extensive renovations carried out early in the nineteenth century, and the flagstaff carrying the Royal Standard when Their Majesties are in residence is 300 feet above the level of the Thames.

The large medal in standard silver, with an Artistic dull finish, is 21 inches In diameter, and will be available to the public in a leather case at the price of one guinea per medal. The smaller medal, carrying the same features as the other, has a diameter of 11 inches, and has been struck in fine silver with a bright surface. This will be available to the public in a cardboard box at the price of 2/6 per medal. The object in issuing these medals is not to make profit, but to provide an appropriate symbol of a notable occasion in the Empire’s history, emphasising the position of the Crown and its general recognition as the one common bond which unites all parts of His Majesty’s Dominions. The distribution is being undertaken by the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department, and the supply available in New Zealand is limited.