The River Thames, sometimes described as the longest archaeological site in the world, has produced an unparalleled assemblage of finds dating from prehistory to the present-day. Many of these objects have come to light due to the efforts of licenced modern ‘mudlarks’, who are permitted to recover objects from the foreshore and subsequently record them with the Museum of London.
This short article discusses one such object discovered some years ago – a large, 18th century pewter medal which is completely unparalleled in any publication. The author suggests in the following discussion that based on the evidence available, this piece may be interpreted as a trial strike for an unproduced medal commemorating the Act(s) of Union in 1707.