Medal - Battle of Waterloo ND

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Two allegorical scenes are used on this medal: one of war and one of peace

Engraver: Benedetto Pistrucci

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Undated (1849) Waterloo Medal by Pistrucci. BHM-870. Electrotype (copper shell, base metal interior), 140.8 mm, 677.5 gm. The famous Waterloo medal by Benedetto Pistrucci is celebrated not only for its mammoth dimensions, stunning beauty, and historical significance, but also for the colorful story surrounding its production. The Battle of Waterloo, perhaps one of the most important single-day battles in history, was fought on June 18, 1815, near Brussels. Approximately 50,000 souls were lost on that fateful day. British and Prussian allied forces defeated Napoleon, thus ending over a decade of the bloody Napoleonic Wars in Europe. To immortalize the successful military campaign, the Duke of Wellington suggested that a couple of special medals be prepared. From a July 11, 1815, letter from Master of the Mint W.W. Pole to the president of the Royal Academy: