Imagine you are a woman living in Australia in the 1920s. The last years have been so hard, with your beautiful boys going off to war. Your younger son was lucky and returned home, though he was badly wounded, but your older son was not so fortunate. He died, just a few weeks before the war ended. His loss was tragic, but he died serving King and country. When his dead man's penny arrived, at first it was very upsetting, but now you display it over the mantle to commemorate his sacrifice.
When I showed the children this Dead Man's Penny their reaction was very interesting. They were fascinated by the plaque, and by the history behind it, but they were very saddened by it too. The thought that people could only be awarded such a medallion if they died was 'kind of unfair', but the thing which they found most sad was the sheer number of plaques which were given out. They did like the idea that the families 'got something to be proud of' in return for their loss.
The Great War, as the First World War was then known, saw the death of thousands of men and women from countries throughout the British Commonwealth. Their sacrifice was a noble one, dying for freedom, King and country, but it was a harsh blow for the families who were left behind. In 1920 it was announced that all families of those who died in the war would receive a memorial plaque, commonly known as a 'dead man's penny'. Plans for such a plaque, commemorating the men and women whose deaths were caused by the war, were first made in 1917. This was when a competition was launched to find a suitable design for the plaques. 800 people entered designs but in 1918 Mr. E. Carter Preston of Liverpool, England was announced as the winner, receiving 250 pounds in prize money.
Prestons design featured Lady Britannia with two dolphins, showing Britain's naval might. The plaque also featured a lion, representing Britain, standing over a defeated eagle, which was the symbol of Germany. Around the outside of the plaque were the words 'He died for freedom and honour'. The plaques were produced at a special memorial plaque factory in Acton, London and each was cast in bronze. Every plaque also featured the name of the service man or woman who died, embossed (or in some cases engraved) next to Britannia. The full name was given on the plaque, but no rank or honours were listed, showing the equality of all who died, and of their sacrifice. The plaques were accompanied by a scroll, although many scrolls have since been lost, including the one which would have accompanied the plaque I showed the children (which is a family heirloom). The first plaques were distributed in Australia in 1922 and over 60000 were distributed in Australia alone.