1086775 | IRELAND REPUBLIC. Trinity College, Dublin. "1591" (1921) AV Medal of 9 Ducats Weight. PCGS SP63. By West & Son. Edge: Plain. 40mm. 31.05gm. COLL. SS. ET. INDIVID. TRIN. REG. ELIZABETHAE. JVXTA. DVBL. 1591. Half-length bust of Elizabeth I, three-quarters right, elaborately draped and jewelled / HIST ET SCIENT: POLIT: FELICITER EXCULTIS// MARCUS WILSON, 1921. Large heraldic shield. Eimer 1453A; MI i, 158/138.

This medal was issued from about 1850 onward, given occasionally to an outstanding candidate in any of several fields. The design relates to the 1591 grant by Queen Elizabeth I to erect a college at Dublin, leading to the founding of Trinity College.

Includes a vintage wooden and felt lined fitted frame with label, "Mark Wilson 1921".


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The youngest of 23 children, Marcus Wilson was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1896. After serving in the Royal Flying Corps as a pilot during the First World War, Wilson began studying at Trinity College in September 1919. A keen sportsman and highly coveted academic, Wilson graduated in 1922 with a first in Law, before passing his Bar exam shortly after.

Like many of his contemporaries, Wilson went on to join the Colonial Service in 1924, first being posted to Tanganyika, then later as a magistrate in Uganda. A fruitful career in Africa continued throughout the interwar years, culminating in a stint as a Colonel in the Tanganyika Territorials during the Second World War. The post-war era brought about more lucrative appointments, including becoming Lord Chief Justice of the Gold Coast (Ghana) between 1948-56, during which he was Knighted by George VI in the 1950 Birthday Honours. Wilson died in Accra, Ghana, on the 10th April 1956, after which he was succeeded by Kobina Arku Korsah, the first African man to hold the post.
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