Mexican Dollar commemmorative medallion : Surgeon-Lieutenant A C R Todd, HMAS Sydney

Fob medallion incorporating a Republica Mexicana silver dollar coin with a decorative crown and scroll soldered to the top of the coin reading 'Nov 9 / 1914 / HMAS. Sydney. SMS. Emden'. Manufacturer's details are impressed into the reverse. The top of the medallion has a three-link fob attachment.

The Mexican silver dollars recovered from SMS Emden were considered a suitable base for producing a commemmorative medallion by the Navy in 1918. Of the 6,429 silver dollars salvaged from the 'Emden', 1,000 were issued as medallions for presentation to the officers and men of HMAS Sydney. Actual presentation was made by the ship's captain, Captain C T Glossop, RN. This example was presented to Surgeon-Lieutenant Arthur Charles Robert Todd of Tamworth, NSW, one of two surgeons aboard HMAS Sydney during its engagement with the German raider SMS Emden on 9 November 1914. Of that action, the Official History states that the two surgeons worked continuously 'from 6 pm on Tuesday up to 4.30 am on Wednesday' and returned to the theatre after a short breakfast, tending to both Emden casualties (at least 70) and Sydney wounded for almost 40 hours non-stop. Todd, born in 23 June 1889, enlisted in 1914, was appointed surgeon-on-probation on 17 August 1914 and was transferred to HMAS Sydney on 25 October 1914. He remained with the Sydney until 10 June 1916 and was placed on the retired list on 30 November 1917. Todd's 85 page manuscript 'Cruise of HMAS Sydney 1914-1916' is held by the Mitchell Library, Sydney.