Darren Burgess writes:

"TO / Nelson Johnson, / seaman of the British, / str "Dawn", for bravery, / at risk of life, / in / rescuing the crew of / the American Ship / "Eric the Red."

"M" on obverse, truncation of the portrait

Size
35mm diameter

Historical Information
This medal for bravery, for rescue of the crew from the shipwreck "Eric the Red" on 4th September 1880, was awarded to one of the crew of the steamer S.S. Dawn by the President of the United States in July 1881.

The medal is engraved with the name "Nelson Johnson" (the anglicised version of his Swedish name Neils Frederick Yohnson). It was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in 2013 by Nelson's granddaughter. Nelson had migrated from Sweden to Sydney in 1879. The next year in 1880, aged 24, he was a seaman on the steamship Dawn and involved in the rescue of the survivors of the Eric the Red.

The medal's history, according to the Editor of 'E-Sylum' (the newsletter of the The Numismatic Bibliomania Society "... appears to be an example of an 1880 State Department medal, catalogued as LS-3 (page 322 of R. W. Julian's book, Medals of the United States Mint: The First Century 1792-1892). The reverse is mostly blank for engraving, surrounded with a thin wreath. It was designed by George Morgan, chief engraver for the Philadelphia Mint, and struck in gold, silver and bronze. The one pictured here (in The Standard newspaper, 2nd July 2013) appears to be silver."

To read the complete description on the Collections Victoria Website, see:Medal for bravery, Eric the Red rescue(victoriancollections.net.au/items/51fb233c2162ef156c79e272)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:ERIC THE RED LIFESAVING MEDAL ON DISPLAY IN WARRNAMBOOL(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a27.html)