Medal commemorating 'The Fighting Temeraire' and J.M.W. Turner. Obverse: J.M.W. Turner's bust (left). Legend: 'JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER R.A. 1775-1851'. Reverse: Reproduction of Turner's painting 'The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth'. Legend: 'ART-UNION OF LONDON. 1876.'

This is one of a series of medals commemoratiing British artists in various fields including sculpture and architecture, with reproduction of one of their works on the reverse. They were issued by the Art Union of London, a public membership body promoting the fine arts founded in 1837 and wound up in 1912. The medals were proposed in 1842, partly to help perpetuate the then dying craft of die-engraving, and 30 medals were issued between 1846 and 1887 but not struck every year.

Thirty of each were made in silver as annual lottery prizes for Art Union members, in addition to those who won original artworks purchased by the society for distribution that way as a benefit of membership. The more numerous bronze ones were originally for members to request instead of the published Art-Union engraving of a significant contemporary artwork that was a general annual membership benefit.

Twenty-nine of the medals commemorated artists, the first being the sculptor Sir Francis Chantrey issued (late) in 1846 and distributed to lottery winners of 1843. The thirtieth, in 1887, commemorated both the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria and of the Art Union itself, with her portrait on the obverse. The centenary of Turner's birth fell in April 1875 and is probably why his medal was issued in 1876, also the year in which the Art Union reached its maximum membership of some 20,000 people.

L.C. Wyon (1826-91) was Chief Engraver to the Mint, in succession to his father William Wyon, who made just the initial Chantrey medal, died (like Turner) in 1851, and was also commemorated in one by his son. He designed seven of the medals, with G.G.Adams next numerous at four. Two other members of the family, B. Wyon and A.B. Wyon, accounted for another six.