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XXI Anniversary of the Volunteer Movement medal

Medallist: Macphail, Neil · 1838-1912Designer: Paton, Joseph Noel, Sir, RSA · 1821-1901

XXI Anniversary of the Volunteer Movement medal

Medal struck in both silver and bronze to mark the twenty-first anniversary of the Volunteer Movement in Scotland. Amongst the battalions raised in…

Medal struck in both silver and bronze to mark the twenty-first anniversary of the Volunteer Movement in Scotland.

Amongst the battalions raised in 1859 was the First City of Edinburgh Artillery Volunteers whose ranks comprised mostly of Members of the Royal Scottish Academy.

Sir Joseph Noel Paton RSA who served as an Officer in the outfit also designed their uniform and badges.

The dies for this medal were engraved by Neil Macphail.

The obverse face has a bust of HM Queen Victoria almost facing, crowned, veiled and draped, with the initials V-R flanking in the field, the whole contained within an outer edge inscription; XXI.ANNIVERSARY. .OF.THE.VOLUNTEER.MOVEMENT.MDCCCLXXXI

The reverse face surmounted by the latin motto; PRO ARIS ET FOCIS, curved above the winged figure of the Archangel Michael in full armour standing holding a pointed shield in left hand and a raised sword in his right, three kneeling warriors in armour with shields and spears to the right forming a guard and being personifications of Anglia, Hibernia and Scotia, in defence of their mother Kingdom represented by the seated woman embracing two young children at left, all on a water-lapped island with the prow of a sailing ship visible at extreme right.