1862 International Exhibition 77mm Prize Medal - By Wyon

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  • Regular price £285.00


Eimer 1553, BHM 2747.

77mm. Bronze.

Obverse with Britannia seated, surrounded by female figures bearing the products of Art, Science, Industry and Agriculture. Edge reads 'SMITH, BECK, & BECK. CLASS XIII'.

Good Extremely Fine.

Richard Beck (1827-1866) and Joseph Beck FRAS, FRMS (June 1828-18 April 1891) (nephews of J.J Lister) formed the optical manufacturing firm of R and J Beck in 1843, based at 69 Mortimer Street, London. James Smith worked with the company under the name of Smith and Beck, renamed Smith, Beck and Beck in 1854 but reverting to R and J Beck when Smith retired in 1865. In 1968 the company was taken over by The Ealing Corporation, South Natick, Massachusetts, becoming Ealing Beck Ltd., then in 1990 Davin Optronics acquired the business and today it still trades in Hemel Hempstead as Beck Optronic Solutions Ltd. Smith is credited with helping to raise the status of the use of microscopes within scientific research.