OPENING OF THE NEW CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL

WYON, Joseph Shepherd & Alfred Benjamin: England, 1882, Bronze, 76 mm
Obv: Conjoined Busts of Prince and Princess of Wales    ALBERT EDWARD ALEXANDRA
Rev: River front of school flanked by shields of the Prince of Wales (left) and the City of London (right).    CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL NEW BUILDING OPENED
Exergue: BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES 12 DEC. 1882
Signed: JS & AB WYON
Mintage: 400
In original case of issue (see Appendix)
Ref: Welch 18; BHM 339/3133; Eimer 197/1690; Taylor 166/202a;  Weiss BW298

The original City of London School, which was built in1835-1837, though very successful, over time began to suffer from a cramped site and too few small class rooms. In 1881-1882, after holding a competition, a replacement building was erected on a site at the Victoria Embankment after the design of Davis & Emmanuel. The reverse of this medal shows the main block facing the river where a new Great Hall occupies the entire first floor. The completed facade was of Portland stone, with polished red granite shafts to the windows. In niches of the spandrels stood statues of Francis Bacon, Sir Thomas More, William Shakespeare, John Milton and Sir Isaac Newton. (From Taylor)

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