1842年中国-英国第一次鸦片战争/维多利亚试铸铜章。伦敦铸币厂。 出自 W. Wyon 之手。直径 36 毫米。正面头顶皇冠的维多利亚左侧肖像。反面"ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACEM" (武力赢得和平)，椭圆盾牌置于热兵器及乐器之前，棕榈树在后。底线下有"CHINA"铭牌。光边。亮丽迷人，浓郁的巧克力棕色包浆覆盖，些许紫光在底板绽放。<p>
儘管看似一枚纪念章，其实是<strong>极为罕见</strong>的奖章试铸版，为鸦片战争而准备。Wyon的初版设计是英国雄狮脚踏躺倒地上的中国龙，但因遭受抨击而换成本拍品的设计。奖章（银版及相应的扣及绶带，横槓上刻有受勳者参与的行动）不时浮现市面，铜版因不作颁发之用而较少见。早前所述的"狮与龙"铜质试铸版在 2020 年 7 月以逾 50,000 美元拍出。
GREAT BRITAIN. China - Great Britain. First Opium War/Victoria Bronze Medal Trial, 1842. London Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-66. BHM-Unlisted; Eimer-Unlisted; cf. Barac-72 (in silver and with clasp) & cf. Barac-97 (same; for Second Opium War); cf. Gordon-50 (in silver and with clasp) & cf. Gordon-59 (same; for Second Opium War). By W. Wyon. Diameter: 36mm. Obverse: Diademed head of Victoria left; Reverse: ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACEM (<em>seeking peace through might</em>), oval shield in front of pile of military implements and musical instruments; palm tree in background; CHINA on tablet in exergue. <em>Edge</em>: Plain. Quite lustrous and enchanting, with a rich chocolate brown color throughout and some alluring violet radiance emanating from the fields on the reverse.<p><em>
Though having the appearance of a commemorative medal, this piece in fact appears to be an <strong>EXTREMELY </strong><strong>RARE</strong> trial of the award medal thus created for both Opium Wars. The initial design proposed by Wyon featured the British lion subduing the Chinese dragon, though this seems to have generated some backlash, with the present design supplanting it. While the subsequent award medals (</em>issued in silver and with their corresponding clasps, ribbons, and bars naming the action seen by the recipient<em>) do appear from time to time, bronze versions with no pretensions of being awards are much more difficult to encounter. Rather accordingly, compare to a similar bronze version of the aforementioned original "lion and dragon" design, which sold for a total of just over $50,000 [!] in July 2020.</em>
