Medal commemorating the visit of Polish ship Dar Mlodziezy c1987

Maker unknown

Registration number

1091935

Artist/maker

Maker unknown

Title

Medal commemorating the visit of Polish ship Dar Mlodziezy

Production date

c1987

Medium

metal (medal); blue vinyl, white cotton flannelette (case)

Dimensions (H x W x D)

7 cm (medal diameter); 0.5 cm (medal depth); 1.8 x 10.5 x 10.3 cm (box)

Inscriptions

face: MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY / DAR MLODZIEZY / GDYNIA - POLAND verso: ROUND THE WORLD VOYAGE / 1987-1988 / AZORES / GDYNIA / RIO DE JANEIRO / PARANAGUA / BUENOS AIRES / COMODORO / RIVADAVIA / MAURITIUS / FREMANTLE / SYDNEY / HOBART / ALL SHIP RACES HOBART - SYDNEY

Credit line

City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection

Keywords

Melbourne, Gdynia, Poland, Dar Mlodziezy, The Gift of Youth, Ships, Maritime, Sydney, Hobart, Civic gifts, 1987, 1988

Summary

A number of medals that illustrate Melbourne's maritime heritage have been gifted to council and form part of the collection. In 1988, the Polish ship Dar Mlodziezy (The Gift of Youth) visited Melbourne on its round-the-world voyage, and participated in the Parade of Sail, which was part of the bicentennial events in Australia. This medal depicts the ship under sail on the obverse, with its name in Polish beneath. Around the rim is 'Merchant Marine Academy / Gdynia - Poland', Gdynia', being the Dar Mlodziezy's home port. The reverse has a map of the voyage with key ports marked, and around the rim is 'Round the world voyage / 1987-1987 / tall ship races Hobart-Sydney'. Interestingly, this voyage made Dar Mlodziezy the first Polish-built vessel to circumnavigate the globe, and it continues to be used as a training vessel by the Gdynia Maritime University. This text is excerpted from Darren Burgess' essay 'City of Melbourne Numismatic Collection', available in full through the 'Explore' tab above.