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ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY LIFE SAVING MEDAL

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The silver medal has an open foliate upper bar with a white ribbon with dark blue borders and scroll suspender. The silver planchet has a geometric border of chevrons and lines, with a central panel engraved, “Presented / to J. Elliot / For Saving / Life” with flourishes. The reverse has a tall fouled anchor set vertically, amid a knotted wreath. This is cased in a pretty brown leatherette case with a gilt blind-stamped crown and garter reading “PRESENTED BY / THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.” The underside of the lid is lined in white with a black maker’s mark: “Warrington / Engraver &c. / to the Queen / 23 Garrick St. / St. Martins Lane / London.”

We do not find this medal in the usual medal types of the Society, but realize research in the field is ongoing. The Society was founded in 1774, initially to spread knowledge of artificial respiration and resuscitation from drowning, but later expanded to cover lifesaving and attempted lifesaving, with medals of gold, silver an bronze. The “J. Elliot” named on the medal could be Midshipman J. Elliot of the Leveret who jumped in the water and saved two of three fellow sailors washed out of a small boat at Lisbon on June 4, 1833. The ribbon is not of a type mentioned for the Royal Humane Society either, but the white ground with blue edges usually appears on medals for conspicuous gallantry. We find the citation for the 1833 rescue by Midshipman J. Elliot in “Acts of Gallantry, A Detailed Account of Each Deed of Bravery in Saving Life from Drowning in All Parts of the World for Which the Gold and Silver Medals and Clasps of the Royal Humane Society Have Been Awarded from 1830 to 1871,” published in 1872.

The box has good color and only minor scuffs. The interior is very good. The silver has a nice patina. The medal ribbon has a brown stain to the white at one end on the back side that can be arranged not to show.   [sr]

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