Medal (reverse), of Edinburgh Skating Club

This is the reverse of a silver medal of the Edinburgh Skating Club. The medal, which is suspended from a brown ribbon, was presented to James Macknight in 1841.

The reverse is inscribed with the figure of Mercury - the Roman messenger of the Gods whose quickness of movement is similar to that of the substance mercury, also known as quicksilver. The Latin inscription translates as, 'swifter than the wind'.

In the Middle Ages skates were made with bone runners, but the introduction of metal runners from Holland made it a more attractive sport.

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