GREAT BRITAIN. Festival of Britain Medals Display Set by Paul Vincze, 1951.BHM-4427. The obverse bears the naked image of a man holding a hammer in one hand, and the shoulder of a youth with the other, both of whom are surveying the modernistic buildings of the festival grounds in the distance. The reverse shows a view of the Crystal Palace exhibition hall on the grounds of the Great Exposition, regarded as the first "Worlds Fair", which had been held nearby exactly 100 years earlier. The post war years were austere times in England, and this celebration was to focus on the achievements of Britain itself - not the Commonwealth, or the world which had been the focus of the Great Exposition. Although a five shilling Crown coin was issued in honor of (but not mentioning) the event, the token and medal production for this celebration was very limited, befitting the sober times. This set includes the standard 38 mm bronze, silver and gold medals, and an impressive 215 mm bronze galvano of the obverse. The set, which is housed in a custom 33x49 cm plastic display plaque also bears a printed and typed gilt-edged information card inscribed, in part, "This is to certify that the enclosed 1 1/2" medal commemorating the Festival of Britain is the Number 2 copy of a limited edition of 10 (9 kt) gold medals, together with the supporting original size (8 1/2") Bronze Cast Number 1 of a limited edition of 10. The card is hand-signed by the artist. VERY RARE and an important acquisition for the Paul Vincze collector.From the Collection of Emil Voigt, believed to have been part of the Howland Wood Award recipient Best in Show Exhibit at the 1974 ANA Convention.
