The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 12, March 23, 2008, Article 16

RARE 1878 LONDON TEMPLE BAR MEDAL UNEARTHED IN NEW ZEALAND BACKYARD

A rare English medal uncovered in the backyard of an Upper
Hutt house will soon be on its way to the Museum of London.

Kevin Homan discovered the dirt-encrusted Temple Bar Medal
while working with his father on foundations for the family's
garage.

"At first I thought it was an old jar lid, then I washed it
off with a hose. Around the edges it said that in 1672 the
Temple Bar was erected and then removed in 1878."

The one-kilogram medal was made in 1878 from the lead roof
of Temple Bar, which historically marked the western boundary
of the City of London.

The gateway, made of Portland stone and dating from 1672,
was reputedly designed by Sir Christopher Wren, architect
of nearby St Paul's Cathedral.

Only one other of the historic medals is known to exist, a
mint example with an original glass-covered face valued at
500 (NZ$1247).

It is unknown how the buried treasure ended up in Upper Hutt,
but Kevin Homan's father, Stewart, has a theory.

"My father bought this house [in 1952] after receiving an
inheritance from two quite wealthy aunts who lived in London.
He might have been given it and then buried it with other
rubbish."

The Temple Bar Medal is from a collection called the City
of London Medals, struck by the Corporation of the City of London.

Most in the series had runs of up to 450, but a notable
exception is the Temple Bar Medal, considered extremely
rare by experts.

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  Wayne Homren, Editor

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