Live Auction 7470Exploration and Travel
Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904)
Lot 61

Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904)

The Belgian Geographical Society's silver medal awarded to Stanley, Brussels, 1878

Closed27 September 2007

Price Realised

GBP 6,250

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Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904)
The Belgian Geographical Society's silver medal awarded to Stanley, Brussels, 1878
the obverse engraved 'LA SOCIéTé BELGE DE GéOGRAPHIE BRUXELLES 1878' within an oak and laurel wreath, the reverse engraved 'A H.M. STANLEY QUI A RETROUVé LIVINGSTONE ET TRAVERSé L'AFRIQUE EN SUIVANT LE CONGO' within a laurel wreath
2¾in. (6.9cm.) diameter

Specialist note

Stanley returned from his 999 day trans-African expedition in January 1878. He was fêted throughout Europe and made a Corresponding Member of the Belgian Geographical Society on 12 June 1878. He met King Leopold of the Belgians in Brussels in June, and following talks in August, a committee of Belgian financiers and entrepreneurs, the 'AIA', voted to equip an expedition led by Stanley to set up an administration in the Congo. This led to the founding of the Congo Free State, by which Leopold acquired the Congo Basin.