This 1849 medal commemorates the opening of the New Coal Market in London by Queen Victoria, a significant event in the city’s industrial and commercial history. Struck in pewter and made by Allen and Moore of Birmingham, it is a small but carefully designed piece that links the monarch directly to the growth of Victorian trade and infrastructure.

The obverse shows a Gothic-style bust of Queen Victoria facing left, with lettering that records her birth on 24 May 1819, her coronation on 28 June 1838 and her marriage on 10 February 1840, together with the title H.M.G.M. QUEEN VICTORIA. The reverse carries an elevation of the New Coal Exchange building and the inscription THE NEW COAL MARKET, LONDON, OPENED BY HER MAJESTY, OCT: 30 1849. The design is the work of William Wyon, one of the most respected engravers of the Victorian age.

At 27 mm, this is a compact medal with clear detail and a neat finish. The pewter composition gives it a soft, silvery-grey appearance that is distinctive among Victorian commemorative medals. For collectors, this is especially interesting as an inauguration medal connected with a major London building and the wider story of coal as the fuel that powered industry, transport and homes in the 19th century.

This is a rewarding piece for anyone interested in Queen Victoria, London trade, industrial history or Victorian commemorative medals. It offers a direct and accessible link to a key moment in the development of the city’s commercial infrastructure.