Champion Comique medal, 14 December 1866

The medal is etched on one side ‘Presented by James Taylor Champion Comique of Great Britain to John Fyffe Champion Comique of Dundee 14th Dec 1866’. The reverse has been hallmarked at the bottom edge – lion symbol for 925 silver, sovereign’s head means duty was paid on this item, and the assay office the item was stamped at was Glasgow.

There is no date stamp but a makers stamp of ‘TM’. The contest took place at the Alhambra Music Hall, Dundee and it is likely that John Fyffe performed comedy songs while dressed up.

In The Dundee Courier & Argus on 14th December 1866 there was a notice advertising this contest, which was to take place at the Alhambra Music Hall, East Dock Street, Dundee. Competitors were asked pass their names to Mr Taylor, the presenter of this medal. Leading up to the contest the medal could be viewed from the window of Mr Robertson, Clothier, Reform Street.

We can have a guess as to Mr Fyffe’s performance on the day thanks to an article published two months later in The Dundee Courier & Argus, where it was reported that John Fyffe ‘by his first-rate make-up and ingenious mimicry, drew forth convulsive laughter’ when performing comic songs. This performance was part of a benefit gig held at the Thistle Hall for a workman in Douglas Foundry who, due to illness, could not work and therefore could not support his family (The Dundee Courier & Argus 14 Dec 1866 and 25 Feb 1867).