White Metal. 50mm. The Victoria Bridge medal by Montreal jeweller and silversmith Alfred Hoffnung was one in a series of medals issued to commemorate the opening of the Victoria Bridge in 1859 and the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward’s visit in 1860. They were struck in gold, silver, bronze, and white metals, with the latter sold for $1 each.

Two varieties are known. The first medals struck initially showed an incorrect cost of $5,000,000, but this was quickly fixed by cutting a 7 over the 5. The earlier pieces are now considered scarcer.

This attractive example is prooflike with flashy fields and strong devices. There are a few minor hairlines but no significant marks. The overall quality is much better than usually seen. An important 19th century souvenir commemorating one of the engineering marvels of that period. In fact, the bridge still stands and is used daily by cars and trains traveling across the St. Lawrence River to and from Montreal and the South Shore. It will probably outlast every other bridge connecting the Island of Montreal to the surrounding mainland.

For more information on this series, please consult Ron Cheek’s article in the March 2016 issue of the CN Journal entitled, “The 1860 Victoria Bridge Medals” and Scott Miller’s article, “Medals of the Prince of Wales Visit,” in the 1994 Coinage of the America’s 1994 conference on Canada’s Money.