Stacks’ auction offers medal for Great Fire of London

Stack’s Bowers’ Galleries’ Aug. 4 auction offers a massive gold medal depicting the Great Fire of London.

Medal images courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries.

The Great Fire of London in 1666 left scars on the city that remain to this day.

A massive, undated gold medal (possibly from the 1966 anniversary) showcasing the event is one highlight in Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ Aug. 2 and 4 auction in Denver in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money.

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The .9167 fine gold medal weighs 409.9 grams (or more than 13 troy ounces) and measures 76 millimeters in diameter (about 3 inches). 

The gold medal features the Great Seal of King Charles II and a view of London before the fire on the obverse, while a commemorative reverse depicts a phoenix arising from a block of burning buildings over the Thames. The legend THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON / 1666 surrounds the scene.


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The Mint State medal is signed J. T. & Co., with the appropriate hallmarks below the date. It is unlisted in British Commemorative Medals and Their Values by Christopher Eimer. 

Possibly issued in 1966 for the 300th anniversary, the medal is edge numbered 48 (of an issue of 100) and housed in its original presentation case, including a certificate of authenticity.

It has an estimate of $10,000 to $14,000.


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