Item number: M283

Year: AD 1886

Material: Gold

Size: 69.2 x 45.7 x 2.5 mm

Weight: 63.5 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2024

2. Jason Pilalas Collection

This is a gold “Presented Medal” awarded in 1886 to Charles George Budge for serving as a Midshipman aboard the training ship H.M.S. Worcester.

The obverse of the medal features the left-profile portrait of Queen Victoria in her youth, a masterpiece by William Wyon, the chief engraver of the Royal Mint. Below the queen’s shoulder is Wyon’s name inscribed as “William Wyon RA.” Surrounding the portrait is a Latin inscription in abbreviated form: “VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG: F:D:” which translates to “Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of Britain and Defender of the Faith.”

The reverse is decorated with a beaded border and continuous floral-geometric patterns along the outer edge. Inside the inner circle, the inscription “PRESENTED BY HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN” is prominently engraved. At the centre, the recipient’s name and service details are elegantly framed with floral motifs.

The top two lines, rendered in Gothic script, read: “TO CHARLES GEORGE BUDGE.” Below, the service unit and award year are inscribed over three lines: “H.M.S WORCESTER TRAINING SHIP 1886.”

At the top of the medal is a swivel straight bar suspension with a claw, made from silver gilt. The suspension’s upper end features an elegant design of two tail-curled whales facing each other, adding a distinctive decorative element.

The Presented Medal is an award issued in the name of the British Royal Family to encourage individuals with outstanding performance or achievements within military units. Recipients are not necessarily required to have combat experience. This tradition remains in use today across the United Kingdom, Australia, and other Commonwealth nations.

Charles George Budge, the medal recipient, served aboard the H.M.S. Worcester, a wooden training ship loaned in AD 1862 to function as the Thames Nautical Training College for naval cadets. The vessel was retired from service in AD 1885, suggesting that Budge was likely among the last batch of cadets trained on this ship.

Starting in AD 1876, Queen Victoria took a personal interest in the school’s training programme and awarded a gold medal annually to the best cadet officer of the year. A notable alumnus of the Thames Nautical Training College was Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō, who later led the Imperial Japanese Navy to a decisive victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War.

物件編號: M283

年代: 公元 1886 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 69.2 x 45.7 x 2.5 mm

重量: 63.5 g

製造地: 皇家造幣廠

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2024

2. 傑森·皮拉拉斯舊藏

這是一枚公元1886年，查爾斯·喬治·巴奇以擔任「伍斯特號」訓練艦的見習軍官身分獲頒的金質「贈呈獎章」。

獎章正面為皇家造幣廠首席雕刻師威廉·威恩的得意之作，少女時代的維多利亞女王左側肖像，於女王肩膀下緣能發現雕刻師的姓名戳記「William Wyon RA」。外圍的拉丁縮寫銘文「VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG:F:D:」意思為「維多利亞 蒙上帝恩典 英國女王和信仰的捍衛者」。

背面外圍以珠圈和連續圖案的花草幾何紋飾作為裝飾，內圈鐫刻「PRESENTED BY HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN」(女王陛下贈呈) 字樣。正中央為以花草線條裝飾的得獎者姓名和服役單位等訊息。最上方標示姓名的兩行字以哥德字體呈現「TO CHARLES GEORGE BUDGE」(致查爾斯·喬治·巴奇)，下方三行文字則標示得獎者的服役單位和獲獎年份「H.M.S WORCESTER TRAINING SHIP 1886」(伍斯特號訓練艦 1886)。

獎章上方是銀鍍金材質的帶爪旋轉直桿懸掛，懸掛頂端為兩隻相望的翹尾鯨魚設計。

贈呈獎章為使用英國王室名義，鼓勵軍中各單位有傑出表現或成績之人員的一種獎章，得獎人不必然有實戰的經驗，至今仍在英國和澳洲等大英國協國家沿用。獲獎者查爾斯·喬治·巴奇服役的「伍斯特號」，為一艘公元1862年借調為「泰晤士海事軍官訓練學校」的木造訓練艦，直到公元1885年退役為止。由此判斷查爾斯·喬治·巴奇應該是最後一期在這艘船的見習軍官學員。

公元1876年起，維多利亞對於這間學校的訓練感到興趣，每年致贈金質獎牌給該年度的最佳見習軍官。泰晤士海事軍官訓練學校的知名校友為帶領日本海軍在日俄戰爭大敗俄國的東鄉平八郎大將。