Ian Cummins Collection - Antique Arms, Vintage Watche

Lot 4084    Session 15 (7.30pm Thursday 24 November)    Ian Cummins Collection - Antique Arms, Vintage Watches

Estimate $7,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $6,000

SYDNEY RIFLE CLUB, large entirely hand crafted medallion in silver (160.0g, 67mm) made from two smoothed silver discs with ornate floral surround with crossed rifles suspension mount and loop at top, manufactured by John Forrester, obverse gentleman in hat under a tree shooting rifle at a target in the distance, reverse inscribed 'Presented to/ Mr.John Carmichael/by the/Sydney Rifle Club/being the Prize awarded to the/best Shot in the 2nd Match/on the 5th day of April 1847'. Very fine and excessively rare.

Ex Len Barton, Sydney antique dealer in 1980.

A similar medal depicted in Gullick's manuscript is in the Mitchell Library. This medal published and illustrated in page 18 of 'The Target Rifle in Australia 1860-1900' by J.E.Corcoran, Sydney 1975.

On 25 December 1844 it was announced that the first Annual Match of Sydney Rifle Club for a prize of a rifle would be fired on 1 January 1845 at the club at Red House Farm, Five Dock. At the next annual match held on 1 January 1846 the first prize was once again a rifle, the second prize was a silver medal and third prize was a silver-mounted snuff box. This was the earliest known beginnings of the rifle club movement in Australia. Then at the competition fired for on 5 April 1847 at the shooting grounds behind the new military barracks at Paddington there were three medals awarded on the day and about thirty members of the club competed for the prize medals on offer.

According to the rules, every member was entitled to three shots for the first prize, being a silver medal value œ3 5s. After a keen contest Mr. John Anderson, publican, of Penrith, was declared the winner, his three shots collectively being within seven and a half inches of the centre. Although the shooting for the first prize was good, that for the second prize (a silver medal value œ2 5s) was better with Mr. John Carmichael, baker, York-street, having put in three balls, of which the distance from the centre taken collectively was only six and five-eighth inches. The third prize, being a medal value œ1 5s, was won by Mr. William Aikenhead, publican, of the Emu Inn, corner of George and Bathurst-street. Members of the club, on their return to Sydney, assembled and dined in the Emu Inn.

The medals, which were manufactured by Mr. John Forrester, jeweller and watchmaker of George-street, were neat specimens of art, reflecting great credit on the workman. In 'Shooting Awards and Prize Medals to Australian Military Forces' by John O'Connor, Sydney 2002, p102-3, reference is made to the medal discs being made from Spanish eight reales. Accordingly, this medal is of great significance as an example of early colonial medal making and of great rarity as one of the earliest known rifle club medals.