Numismatically speaking, there were four English Crystal Palaces: that of the Great Exhibition, Hyde Park 1851; the Crystal Palace at Sydenham 1852-1936; the Crystal Palace for the Exhibition of Art Treasures at Manchester 1857 and the Crystal Palace for the International Exhibition at Kensington 1862. All are covered in this, the first work ever devoted entirely to Crystal Palace medals and tokens.
The place of the Crystal Palaces in the historical record is secure. This book conveys the magnificence of these crytal giants and also the horror of the destruction of the Sydenham Crystal Palace by fire in 1936. Leslie Lewis Allen saw the glow of the fire in the night sky as a boy; it was this which led eventually to his interest in Crystal Palace collecting. This book will fascinate all with an interest in history and medals. It will also be indispensable for collectors, dealers and academics.
With informative introductions to each Crystal Palace; over 800 illustrations of all official medals and many unofficial medals and tokens; over 200 pieces recorded for the first time; all pieces fully described with rarities shown.
Hard bound and printed on glossy art paper, it runs to 276 pages and is loaded with lots and lots of high quality illustrations and a comprehensive price guide.
Before we ship books we will advise you of the shipping costs by e-mail, as these costs vary significantly per book and per region
