Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Polar Medal at risk of leaving the UK
A temporary export bar has been placed on Antarctic Explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Polar Medal
- The medal is valued at more than £1.7 million
- The export bar will allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the medal for the nation
Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has placed an export bar on Antarctic Explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Polar Medal.
The medal, valued at £1,760,000 (plus VAT of £44,000), is at risk of leaving the UK unless a domestic buyer can be found to save it for the nation.
The Arctic Medal was instituted in 1857 and renamed the Polar Medal in 1904. It is given to individuals for outstanding service to the field of polar research. It was first awarded to the participants in Captain Robert F. Scott’s successful first expedition to the Antarctic, and then to reward future expedition members and leaders.
The Polar Medal was awarded to Shackleton in recognition of his three polar expeditions (1902–04, 1907–09, 1914–16), the latter two of which he led. It is the most important of the UK medals awarded to him, given it is the only medal to recognise all three of his expeditions. It is also the last of Shackleton’s medals still in the UK.
Shackleton made three expeditions to the Antarctic in the early twentieth century with his 1907 Nimrod expedition aiming to be the first to reach the South Pole. Although unsuccessful, the expedition was the first in history to travel within 100 miles of the South Pole, successfully ascend Mount Erebus and the first to set foot on the South Polar Plateau. His 1909 expedition was the greatest advance to the Pole in history until Amundsen and Scott reached the South Pole separately three years later in 1912.
Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:
Over the course of three Antarctic expeditions, Sir Ernest Shackleton demonstrated his dedication to polar research, his extraordinary bravery, and a thirst for adventure unrivalled even by many of his contemporaries.
The admiration and interest which Shackleton’s exploits inspired continues to this day, so it is right that this medal – a recognition of his immense contribution to polar exploration – should be saved for the nation so that it can continue to inspire the public for many years to come.”
The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.
Committee Chairman, Andrew Hochhauser KC, said:
The Polar Medal was instituted in September 1904, at first to reward the participants in Captain Robert F. Scott’s successful first expedition to the Antarctic region, and then to reward future expedition members and leaders. Besides Captain Scott, its other most distinguished recipient was Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton. This is the original, full-sized version of the medal awarded to Shackleton. This unique artefact is of outstanding significance as the most important and original of the UK medals to have been awarded to one of Britain’s greatest polar explorers. It should go to a UK public institution where it can remind visitors of Shackleton’s extraordinary achievements and inspire future generations of leaders.
The Committee made its recommendation on the basis that the medal was found to meet the first Waverley criterion, that its departure from the UK would be a misfortune because it was so closely connected with our history and national life.
In 2020, an export bar was placed on the sledge and flag from the Nimrod expedition successfully saving them for the public, with the 11ft sledge now owned by the National Maritime Museum (NMM) in Greenwich and the sledge flag owned by the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge.
The decision on the export licence application for the medal will be deferred for a period ending on 1 May 2024 (inclusive). At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the medal at the recommended price of £1,760,000 (plus VAT of £44,000). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for five months.
Read our Shorthand to find out more about Sir Ernest Shackleton’s history.
Notes to editors:
- Lord Parkinson discussed the Waverley criteria in a speech to mark their 70th anniversary, and used the opportunity to invite thoughts on the way they work. His full speech can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/lord-parkinson-speech-at-a-reception-to-mark-70-years-of-the-waverley-criteria.
- He used a speech to the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars earlier this week (Monday 29 January) to outline his conclusions from that work. His full speech can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/lord-parkinson-speech-at-the-annual-banquet-of-the-worshipful-company-of-arts-scholars
- Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the medal should contact the RCEWA on 02072680534 or rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk.
- Details of the object are as follows: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Polar Medal, 1904, with three clasps: ‘ANTARCTIC 1902-04’, ‘ANTARCTIC 1907-09’ and ‘ANTARCTIC 1914-16’. Silver and ribbon, Diameter: 33mm Length (inc ribbon): c.100mm. Made by the Royal Mint. Obverse portrait by George William de Saulles (1862–1903), Reverse design by Ernest George Gillick (1874–1951). 1904 with clasp additions 1909 and 1916. Condition as issued. Some discolouration to the ribbon and minor tarnish to the metal due to its age.
- Provenance: By descent from the recipient
- The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by Arts Council England (ACE), which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
- Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Its strategic vision in Let’s Create is that, by 2030, England should be a country in which the creativity of everyone is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. ACE invests public money from the government and the National Lottery to support the sector and deliver the vision. Following the Covid-19 crisis, ACE developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90 per cent coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. It is also one of the bodies administering the government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund.