1831 Medallion Commemorating The Opening of The New London Bridge

A nicely struck medallion commemorating the opening of the new London Bridge opened by 'Their Majesties' on August 1st 1831. The Medallion is in Very Fine condition...diameter is 1 1/8". Work began on the new bridge in 1824 . The old bridge continued in use as the new bridge was being built, and was demolished after the latter opened in 1831. The scheme necessitated the building of major new approach roads, which cost three times that of the bridge itself. The total construction cost of around £2.5 million (£186 million as of 2011), was met by the Corporation of London and government. The contractors were Jolliffe and Banks of Merstham, Surrey. A fragment from the old bridge is set into the tower arch inside St Katharine's Church, Merstham. The bridge had a length of 928 feet (283 m) and a width of 49 feet (15 m). Haytor granite was used in the construction, transported via the unique Haytor Granite Tramway. The official opening took place on 1 August 1831; King William IV and Queen Adelaide attended a banquet in a pavilion erected on the bridge. The recently constructed HMS Beagle was the first ship to pass under it.