Sands of Gallipoli Medallions
Sands of Gallipoli gives you a personal and enduring connection to the birthplace of the Australian spirit. For almost 20 years these annual collections have honoured our diggers and inspired pride and courage. Every collection includes pieces that contain actual sands collected from the landing beach at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.
SANDS OF GALLIPOLI
Limited Edition Medallions Collections
Sands of Gallipoli gives you a personal and enduring connection to the birthplace of the Australian spirit. For almost 20 years these annual collections have honoured our diggers and inspired pride and courage. Every collection includes pieces that contain actual sands collected from the landing beach at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.
90th Anniversary
Medallion Collection
Gallipoli was a turning point in Australian history. Here, in its first major battle fought as a nation, Australia found a spirit forged in mateship and courage. The ill-fated campaign to invade the Gallipoli Peninsular, capture Constantinople and open up the Dardanelles to allied shipping was part of Britain's grand plan to defeat Germany's Turkish ally. Against fierce opposition Australian and New Zealand troops fought with such courage that Australia's official war correspondent Charles Bean concluded, "nothing can alter what happened now: ANZAC stood and still stands for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance that will never admit defeat."
The six medallions in this collection, available individually or as a stunning boxed set, mark pivotal moments of the Gallipoli campaign.
Our People - Their Service
Medallion Collection
The Our People - Their Service Collection we remembers the people who made up the various arms of ANZAC service; from troopers and artillery men, through to our medical corps and signalmen.
These six limited edition proof quality medallions tell their story. The medallions are housed in a rotating timber stand and feature a header medallion, a vial of Gallipoli sand and a numbered certificate of authenticity.
The Spirit
Medallion Collection
In The Spirit Collection we bring to life the extraordinary experience of John Simpson Kirkpatrick of the Australian Army Medical Corps. Remembered now as Simpson and his Donkey, John was a larrikin with a fierce commitment to his fellow Anzacs. On the battlefront the 'man with the donkey' ferried hundreds of wounded and dying to care. He died on May 19th 1915. The collection features an iconic Simpson Image, the 1904 Rising Sun hat badge and a specially minted landing image.
The Landing
Medallion Collection
The limited edition medallions feature five iconic images from the Landing at Gallipoli, masterfully recreated in highly polished silver and frosted gold plating. Incorporated in the medallion ‘The Landing’ is a clear capsule containing authentic sand from Gallipoli and a miniature 1904 Rising Sun hat badge.
Medals of Gallipoli
Medallion Collection
They did not enlist for medals or glory, but their bravery, the ferocity of the fighting and the number of troops involved saw the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) awarded an unprecedented number of medals during the Gallipoli campaign.
At Gallipoli alone, 10 of the fabled Victoria Cross medals were awarded to ANZACs in just eight months - more than were awarded to Australian and New Zealanders in the three years of the Boer War.
The system for presenting medals was always a difficult process - how do you put a criterion on bravery in a time of war? The reality was that many acts of heroism went unseen or unreported and various commanders also had differing standards.
Nevertheless, from the esteemed Victoria Cross to the 'unofficial' Gallipoli Star, the medals of Gallipoli remain as recognition of the bravery, valour and selfless sacrifice made by our Anzacs during the most legendary battle in Australia's military history.
Men of Valour
Medallion Collection
The ANZAC troops who stormed ashore Ari Burnu (now Anzac Cove), Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 were the finest troops ever assembled by the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF).
Their ill-fated campaign is legend and foundation of our national identity. The adversity faced at Gallipoli is well known and just surviving the almost unbearable conditions was in itself an incredible mark of courage. There were also many acts of self-sacrifice, heroism and tenacity that defied the imagination, and they were honoured with the Empire’s highest military honour - the Victoria Cross (VC).
Its simple wording “FOR VALOUR” was personally chosen by Queen Victoria for whom the medal is named. Eight Australians, one New Zealander, and a New Zealander serving in an Australian unit were awarded the only Imperial bravery medal available to all ranks. They lived and fought at a time and a place, and in conditions we can barely comprehend. However, one thing shines through the decades since they set a standard we can all aspire to. The Anzac Spirit.
Ordinary People - Extraordinary Service
Medallion Collection
The Aussie tradition of extraordinary service and looking out for your mates started in the Boer War. It was enhanced at Gallipoli and shines brightly today.
Helping your mate is not restricted to any one campaign. Indeed, it is a trait that seems to flow in the veins of Diggers in every campaign.
One of these Diggers was Simpson, the Man with the Donkey, at Anzac Cove. The bravery shown by John Simpson Kirkpatrick soon became one of the most prominent symbols of Australian courage and tenacity at Gallipoli. Instructed to recover and assist the wounded, he used a donkey to carry men down from the front line, often exposing himself to fire.
No doubt each and every soldier throughout the proud history of Australian military service has had a story to tell; a story of ordinary men and women providing extraordinary service. Stories that tell of the bond of mateship, the highs and the lows, the courage and fear, and those they lost. These important contributions to our history are to be passed on and shared through the generations.
This collection pays tribute to the ordinary Digger who gives extraordinary service.
The Spirit - Gallipoli Landing 1915
Medallion Collection
This beautiful collection features images from the painting The Spirit - Gallipoli Landing 1915 by the renowned military artist David Rowlands. The painting was commissioned by Military Shop and the painting was completed in late 2011.
David Rowlands is one of the world's finest living military artists. His atmospheric oil paintings present a realistic record of the dramatic events of war and have won him Royal favour and commissions from military organisations around the world.
The Battle of Lone Pine
Medallion Collection
These beautiful sets of high quality medallions feature images from Drew Harrison’s painting “The Battle of Lone Pine”. The medallions are minted from brass alloy and finished in highly polished and frosted silver, over-printed in full colour.
A set of six and a set of two medallions are available. Accompanying each set is a glass vial containing authentic sand from Gallipoli and a colour print of the painting set in a metal frame. The set of six includes a full-sized replica 1904 Rising Sun hat badge while the set of two includes a miniature replica.
The Great War
Medallion Collection
In this, the first year in our 100th anniversary commemorations of the First World War (1914-18), the story of our boys' passage to and through Gallipoli unfolds with the superb Sands of Gallipoli Limited Edition Medallions. Six stunning medallions have been minted with the obverse of the medallions featuring designs based on a series of sketches depicting the early stages of Australia's involvement in the Great War. The sketches, by renowned Australian artist Drew Harrison, were specially commissioned for this collection. The reverse of the medallions reflects the reverse of the Victory Medal.
The Centenary
Medallion Collection
The Limited Edition Sands of Gallipoli Centenary proof medallions are an enduring keepsake for avid collectors and those inspired by this historic national milestone. These are true heirlooms to be passed through the generations. Each comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
Featuring especially commissioned original artworks by renowned Australian artist Drew Harrison, the medallions capture the story and spirit of the Gallipoli campaign. The reverse of each features the evocative Gallipoli Centenary insignia.
Great War 1916-2016
Medallion Collection
This superb 1916 commemorative centenary set of six proof quality silver finish medallions reflects Australia’s War in 1916 – on the seas, in the deserts and on the Western Front.
While Australia’s navy protected the oceans in both hemispheres and supported the blockade of Germany, the Australian Flying Corps’ first complete flying unit, No. 1 Squadron, left Australia for the Middle East. Soldiers of the A.I.F. joined the fight in Europe and in the Sinai Desert. During the battles of Fromelles and Pozieres on the Western Front Australia suffered losses far greater than at Gallipoli, and in the desert at Romani the Australian Light Horse played a decisive part in the battle that finally put a stop to the Turkish threat to the Suez Canal and marked the beginning of the British forces’ push out of Egypt and into Palestine.