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Silver medal commemorating the British capture of Pondicherry, 1761

Medal commemorating the British capture of Pondicherry, commemorative medal

Accession Number

NAM.1980-02-82-1

Description

Medal commemorating the British capture of Pondicherry, 1761. Silver, with relief design on both sides, ring suspender attached to top at later date. Obverse: Within a double beaded border, a left-facing laureated portrait bust of King George III. Crossed sprays of laurel and palm below inscription. Reverse: Within a beaded border and inside the deeply-struck rim, a draped winged Victory facing left, standing with her left foot upon a ball and supporting with her left hand a shield resting upon a pedestal. In her right hand she holds an arrow with which she writes or points to an inscription on the shield. On either side of Victory and the pedestal, an allegorical representation of a palm tree and a bullrush at the base of which is an urn lying on its side with water flowing out of it. Associated with Seven Years War, India (1756-173).

Events

Pondicherry, Battle of, 1778 (American War of Independence 1775-1783)

People

George III, (1738-1820)

Chatham, William Pitt, 1st Earl of

Coote, Sir Eyre (The Elder)

Steevens, Charles

Pingo, Thomas

Dimensions

Diameter: 39 mm

Inscriptions

Obverse, below truncation of bust: ‘T.P.F.’ (Thomas Pingo fecit) Obverse, surrounding bust between the two rows of beading: ‘GEORGE THE THIRD’ Reverse, surrounding all: ‘TOTAL EXPULSION OF THE FRENCH FROM INDIA’ Reverse, below all, in an exergue: ‘PONDICHERRY TAKEN / MDCCLXI’ Reverse, on shield: 'COOTE / STEEVENS' (a reference to the joint success of Col Eyre Coote and Rear Admiral Charles Steevens in capturing the French base of Pondicherry, which surrendered on 16 Jan 1761) Reverse, to Victory’s right: ‘INDVS’ Reverse, to left of pedestal: ‘GANGES’ Rim, engraved: ‘WILLIAM PITT ADMINISTRING [sic]’