TH110 1772 The Royal Alfred Lodge No.304.
Also named “Lodge of Alfred in the University of Oxford No. 455”, this lodge became No. 304 with the closing up of numbers.
One of the rarest of all Masonic jewels, of the approximately 50 made it is thought that less than ten have survived in private hands.
The medal has a die crack which occurred while the die was being manufactured. The crack can be found close to the left of the King’s portrait.
Diameter: 41mm. Weight: 32 grams. Silver. An extremely rare jewel.
Three reproductions are known. The first two date from between 1800 and 1840 and were made by collectors who were unable to obtain an original medal for themselves. The first shows the die crack, however it does not extend up to the letter L or through the King’s tunic. The second does not show the die crack at all, however the design is coarser and the Kings hair on the obverse and the windows in the three castles on the obverse are indistinct. The third was produced in 2002 by The Thomas Harper Lodge No. 9612 who made 60 medals in silver for masonic charity. These all bear a Birmingham Hallmark for 2002.
The original medals generally weigh between 27 and 29 grams. The first two early reproductions weigh between 32 and 33 grams, .