33mm. Silver. 20.0g. By L.C Wyon.
Obverse with young head bust of Queen Victoria, reverse with three masted ship and feautring artic explorers working.
Cleaned and therefore somewhat bright. Extremely rare as an unnamed specimen medal.
This medal, alond with another different medal, was formerly the property of the family of John Cleveley the Younger (25 December 1747 – 25 June 1786), a British artist and marine painter. The other medal was attributable to John Cleveley but the reason for these two medals being together (originally housed in a specially commissioned case), when issued 85 years apart, is unknown.
The Arctic medal was authorized in 1857 and awarded, unnamed, to those who had been engaged in expeditions of discovery or search expeditions from 1818. It could be that a later descendant obtained this medal and a member of the family thought to house them together. The fact that the medal is in specimen form suggests that the recipient possibly obtained the medal due to position or connection, as opposed to having actually served within the Arctic sphere.