Medal - E.W. Cole Cole's Book Arcade; Silver Plated
1918 year| Silver plated bronze | 11.4 g | 31 mm |
| Location | Australia |
|---|---|
| King | George V (1910-1936) |
| Type | Medals › Commemorative medals |
| Year | 1918 |
| Composition | Silver plated bronze |
| Weight | 11.4 g |
| Diameter | 31 mm |
| Thickness | 2 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Milled |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Updated | 2024-11-12 |
| Numista | N#408529 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 97% |
Reverse
View of Cole's Book Arcade,
Script: Latin
Lettering:
PRESENT ARCADE OPENED CUP DAY 1883
1ST MEDAL ISSUED 1875 - THIS 80TH SERIES 1918
Edge
Plain
Comment
Medal, Cole's Book Arcade Portrait, 1918. Minted by Stokes & Sons, this bronze commemorative medal depicts the Arcade and provides a portrait of E.W. Cole as he looked when aged 55. Production of the medal was instigated by Henry Williams, a friend of Cole, a long-time employee and a department manager at the Arcade. Williams also produced other commemorative items for his friend, including two publications.
Cole's Book Arcade opened in the Bourke Street Mall in 1883, after earlier operating from other sites. It was a shop like no other, crammed with new and second-hand books and other wares, but with the atmosphere of a circus. Cole enticed customers of all ages with a menagerie and fernery, a band, a clockwork symphonion and other mechanical delights. Readers could sit in comfortable chairs, encouraged by a sign: 'Read for as Long as You Like - Nobody Asked to Buy'. The Arcade's proprietor, Edward William Cole, was optimist and idealist, believing passionately in the power of education and envisaged a world without borders, expounding his views in pamphlets and books. Cole died in 1918, still dreaming of a better future. Cole's Book Arcade, one of the wonders of 'marvellous Melbourne', closed in 1929.
Interesting fact
From the medal's design, it can be inferred that it was meant to commemorate a specific occasion or event. The presence of an arcade suggests that it may have been issued to mark the opening or anniversary of a shopping center, perhaps the Cole's Book Arcade from which it gets its name. The Silver Plated medal specifically was made using a copper-alloy core that was silver plated, lending it aesthetic appeal and serving as a nod to the quality and luxury associated with the establishment being commemorated. The "E.W. Cole" name inscribed on the obverse likely refers to the owner or founder of the arcade, while the date "1918" indicates the year the medal was issued. The medal was minted in the United Kingdom, likely during the time when E.W. Cole's Book Arcade was at its peak popularity.
Price
| Date | Mintage | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | 500 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for Medal - E.W. Cole (Cole's Book Arcade; Silver Plated) 1918 item.
