The Opening of the New Coal Exchange, on Behalf of the Queen, by Prince Albert, Accompanied by two of the Royal Children, the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal, October 30, 1849

Art Historical Context

This bronze medal, struck in 1849 by British medallist Benjamin Wyon, commemorates the ceremonial opening of London’s New Coal Exchange on October 30 of that year. Prince Albert performed the dedication on behalf of Queen Victoria, accompanied by the young Prince of Wales and Princess Royal. Such commemorative pieces were popular in Victorian Britain, serving as portable records of civic and royal events that linked the monarchy to the nation’s industrial progress. Wyon, a member of a distinguished family of engravers and medallists, worked in the neoclassical tradition favored for official coinage and medals. The struck bronze technique allowed fine detail to be reproduced in quantity, making the medal an accessible souvenir for participants and collectors alike. Its modest 3½-inch diameter and profile portraits of the royal family reflect the intimate yet formal character of mid-nineteenth-century British medallic art. Today the work resides in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, a gift from the Corporation of the City of London in 1908. It offers visitors a tangible connection to the era’s blend of royal ceremony, urban development, and the expanding coal trade that fueled London’s growth.

About the Artist

Benjamin Wyon · 1802–1858

British, London 1802–1858 London