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Great Britain - 1806

Death of William Pitt

Obverse:

Bare head of William Pitt, left. GULIELMO PITT R . P . Q . B. (Dedicated to William Pitt by the King and People of Britain).

Size:

53 mm.

Reverse:

Rock in storm buffeted by waves. PATRIAE COLUMEN DECVS (The support and glory of his country).

Exergue:

OB . A . MDCCCVI (Died 1806).

d'Essling:

d'Essling #2905 Pitt (Guillaume), homme d'État anglais, 1759-1806. (Webb)
Buste à g.	R. PATRIAE COLVMEN DECVS. Rocher au milieu de la mer. 1806.
Br. 53 mm.

BHM:

AR, AE 53 by T. Webb published by E. Thomason.
AR RR; AE C.
AM; BM; BMAG; FM.

William Pitt never enjoyed good health and by 1805 it had declined to the point where frequent visits to Bath were required to relieve the gout and biliousness, the latter possibly induced by a duodenal ulcer. His last weeks were spent in both mental and physical agony after receiving the news of the battle of Austerlitz which shattered the coalition he had built up. Pitt's last words were, 'Oh my country, how I leave my country'. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. See Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge Portraits from Lely to Hockney, Cambridge University Press, 1978, No. 86.

The reverse of this medal was also used for a medal struck on the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817. (see No. 939) See also note to No. 326.

p. 150, British Historical Medals 1760-1960 Volume 1.

Death of William Pitt