Lot 276 - India, British Colonial. George III AU Fort William College Medal. Dated 1800 (1800-1854)

India, British Colonial. George III AU Fort William College Medal. Dated 1800 (1800-1854). REDIT A NOBIS AVRONA DIEMQUE REDUCIT . IV MAY MDCCC, Mosque and Pagoda with sailing ship behind, sunrise above / . COLLEGE OF FORT WILLIAM, HONORARY MEDAL, in wreath around. Puddester: 800.1. 46.49g, 44.00mm, 12h. NGC Graded MS 63. Very Rare. Wonderful old red lustre. One of the best available. (6944909-001). Lord Wellesley, the then Governor-General of India, decided there was a need to provide more training and education to the foreign staff of the East India Company and Officers in the British Army and so he set about building the Fort William College of learning in Calcutta in 1800. Courses were then offered in various languages and dialects to aid the new personnel and allow them to be posted to various states in the remit of the EIC, however, the college was under stress from mounting running costs and the British contingency of the EIC, as they believed that the college would be better located in the UK. The original plan to financially support the college from proceeds of local business's and wealthy plantation owners was not meeting the overheads and so the decision was to move the college to Britain and in 1806 The Haileybury School in Hertfordshire. The Fort William College remained open until 1854, although its service provision was greatly reduced and so to its input locally.The medal on offer is one of the finest examples we have seen, and is a wonderful piece of British Colonial History as well as an eye catchingly beautiful piece of golden artwork.