Object No.
92/1279Object Statement
Commemorative medal, sinking of the SMS Emden (1914), minted from Eight Reales coin, silver, minted by Casa de Moneda de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico, 1878, reminted by W. Kerr, Sydney, New South Wales, issued by Department of Defence, Australia, 1918Physical Description
Commemorative medal, sinking of the German S.M.S. Emden by the HMAS Sydney, off the Cocos Islands, on November 9, 1914. Silver 1878 Mexican dollar (8 reales) converted into a medal on authority of the Defence Department by Sydney jeweller W. Kerr and issued in 1918. Obverse: eagle on cactus holding snake surrounded by issuing country. Reverse: Radiant Liberty cap surrounded by denomination, mint and year. Dollar is surmounted by the King's crown, ribbons with inscription, and a suspension loop with ring at the top.Marks
Issuing country on obverse "REPUBLICA MEXICANA", surmounted by the ribbons with details of the naval action "NOV 9 1914/ HMAS SYDNEY SMS EMDEN". Manufacturer on reverse of ribbons "W. KERR/ SYDNEY", denomination, mint, date, assayer's initials on reverse of coin around perimeter "8 R." (8 reales), "Go." (Guanajuato mint), "1878." "F.R." (Faustino Ramirez 1870-8), "10Ds. 20Gs."