INFO FOR NEW WATERLOO DISPATCH ANNOUNCEMENT RE TREASURE CHEST

The Waterloo Dispatch will also be carrying some very special cargo: a Waterloo Treasure Chest which will feature gold and silver medals and coins, all of which will have historic significance relating to the Battle of Waterloo.  Once the Waterloo Treasure Chest arrives at St James’s, each medal and coin will receive a certificate signed by Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter and Tim Cooke, co-Chairmen of Waterloo 200, to confirm that they made the journey from Waterloo to London – exactly 200 years after the original Dispatch in 1815.  The medals and coins will then be available for purchase by the public, with a proportion of the revenue being donated to Waterloo 200 to fund its activities.

 Amongst the historic products in the treasure chest you will find what is perceived as the mother of all medals – the Waterloo Medal by Benedetto Pistrucci, the famous Waterloo Campaign Medal, and a Philatelic Numismatic Cover stamped at Waterloo on the 18^th of June.

•  Pistrucci’s world famous Waterloo Medal is made in pure 99.9% silver and weighing 2kg.  This medal is a true Waterloo legend, having been designed by master engraver Benedetto Pistrucci for the sovereigns of the Allied Forces that ended Napoleons reign. It was such a complex and large medal (139mm diameter) that it was never produced in its intended size and given to its prominent recipients – until The London Mint Office and Worcestershire Medal Service produced it for the first time as part of the Waterloo bicentenary commemorations.  One of these medals has been received by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as part of her private collection.
• A stunning £10 coin in pure gold, featuring the two opposing generals that fought at Waterloo - the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon Bonaparte - forms the centerpiece of the strictly limited edition Philatelic Numismatic Cover (PNC). The PNC also includes the official Belgian stamp for the commemoration depicting the Iron Duke, and will be stamped at the Waterloo battlefield on the day of the bicentenary 18^th of June 2015 before joining  the Dispatch back to London.
•  The Waterloo Campaign Medal, probably the most important British medal of all times, will also join the New Waterloo Dispatch, in both silver and bronze.  This medal  has historical significance as it was commissioned by the Duke of Wellington, to be created (originally in bronze, but it changed to being made in silver) and given to every soldier that fought, irrespective of their rank.  Prior to this medals had been made to reflect military hierarchies, with gold medals being given to generals through to tin medals being given to privates. 

James Deeny, Managing Director at The London Mint Office, says, “It’s very exciting to have our Waterloo Treasure Chest on board the New Waterloo Dispatch.  So far, the medals we have produced around the Waterloo bicentenary have really captured the imagination of the UK public, with hundreds of thousands ordering them to date.  The limited number of coins and medals that take part in this historic journey will provide collectors with a one-off opportunity to buy a real piece of history.”