Bronze. 76mm. The argument could be made that no other numismatic item is more connected to the founding of this country than the 1867 Confederation medal.

The medal was the idea of Sir John A. MacDonald, first Prime Minister of Canada, who thought it appropriate to have a medal struck to commemorate the establishment of the Dominion of Canada. MacDonald made arrangements for J.S. and A.B. Wyon, Chief Engravers of Her Majesty’s Seal, to design and produce the medal some time before June 3, 1868. The Wyons were paid $2,000 to strike one example in gold for Queen Victoria, fifty in silver, and 500 pieces in bronze.

The obverse features a portrait of Victoria facing left, crowned with a scarf draped from the diadem down to her shoulders. A legend around reads VICTORIA D : G : BRITT : REG : F : D : with the design’s name J.S. WYON SC below the bust. The reverse displays Britannia and a lion, representing England, at left, with a scroll in Britannia’s left hand that reads CONFEDERATION. Allegorical figures of the four provinces appear at left. A female representing Ontario appears at the top, holding a sickle and wheat sheaf. Below her is Quebec holding a canoe paddle and identified by a fleur-de-lis on the shoulder. Nova Scotia follows, holding a shovel for mining, as does New Brunswick with an axe for forestry. JUVENTAS ET PATRIUS VIGOR and CANADA INSTAURATA 1867 appear around the border, meaning “Youth and Patriotic Strength” and “Canada Instituted 1867.” Both designers’ initial are under the foot.

The medals were struck expressly to honour those involved in the process of Confederation, and later, those who served publicly in various capacities. Some collectors, like Gerald E. Hart, made requests to acquire the medal for their collections, but this was impossible. Recipients were awarded solely for merit.

Meticulous records were kept for each recipient. The Governor General approved the first list in November 1869. For example, recipients of the silver medal included each of the 16 members of the conference held in London in 1866-67 discussing the conditions of Confederation, the four members of the first federal government who did not participate in that conference, H.R.H The Prince of Wales, Sir George Brown, and other dignitaries. The first list also asserted who should receive a copy of the bronze medal, like each of the 181 members of the House of Commons, the 72 members of the Senate, members of the Quebec and Charlottetown conferences, and 69 educational institutions across the four provinces.

Once all this was settled, it remained up to the Department of the Secretary of State to distribute the remaining medals. The first medal awarded during this second round was to the Antiquarian and Numismatic Society of Montreal on December 7, 1869. Medals continued to be awarded periodically through the mid-1890s. As of 1937, 22 examples remained on hand, one of which was presented to Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.

This example is from the collection of Hamilton A. Craig (1887-1968), a Toronto collector, WWI veteran, and librarian. His published articles are noted in the image attached from the Canadian Numismatic Bibliography. The medal is beautifully preserved without edge marks or distracting hits in the field. Both sides are glossy deep brown with gold and violet accents. Housed in an aluminum case originally offered with the 1893 Columbian Exposition medals.