In my earlier article, I featured an example of the medals struck from the first aluminium smelted on the site in 1896.
Since then, I discovered that another medal was struck, also in 1898, which mentioned various of the Company’s Plants.
The following year was Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, when another commemorative medal was struck. It could have been given given to all employees of the plant and/or all the village children. Photo courtesy of Dennis Calvert.
In 1907 it was Kinlochleven’s turn when a medal with the words around the rim, ‘Made from the first lot of West Highland Aluminium’ also has on the reverse ‘Produced by The British Aluminium Co. Ltd. at Kinlochleven Argyllshire, 31st December 1907’. The obverse has a Gaelic Inscription, ‘Denach dean an t’uisge ‘nuair a rinn e mise’ around a scene of mountains sweeping down to Loch Leven with the smelter at the foot of them, a very small building almost in the centre of the medal. Kinlochleven is inscribed below the scene and in the sky on my medal ‘L.M.’ has been stamped. The Gaelic inscription means ‘What cannot water do when it made me’.
The catalogue of items in the British Aluminium Company Archives in Glasgow University Archives Service lists many more medals, including one cast in 1953
Medallion suspended by red, white and blue ribbon in presentation box printed with inscription ‘Elizabeth R Coronation Souvenir’. Presented to employees by the British Aluminium Company Limited, June 2nd 1953. Medallion inscribed with Queen’s head (1/55/58)
And one cast in 1989
Medallion celebrating 60 years of production at Lochaber 1929-1989. Inscription ‘British Alcan Highland Smelters, Alcan’ and ‘Lochaber Smelter 60 years 1929-1989, In presentation case (1/12/1
For nearly one hundred years, the company continued to mark significant milestones in its history by issuing commemorative medals and it all began in Foyers.
Louise Boreham