Oxford, All Souls College, Mallard Night
Oxford, All Souls College, Mallard Night, oval silver badge, , 1901, mallard-bearer holding a staff on which sits a mallard, O BY THE BLOOD OF KING EDWARD/ JAN 14/ 1901, rev. the Lord Mallard and six officers in gown and full bottomed wigs with staves, in exergue, arms of the college, , ALL/ SOULS/ OXFORD/ COLL, with legend around, IT WAS A SWAPPING/ SWAPPING MALLARD, 70 x 44 mm , with integral loop for suspension. Unrecorded; about extremely fine and very rare. £Sold
C.E. Mallet’s ‘A History of the University of Oxford’, gives an explanation of this event. Mallard night was January 14, when the so called hunting of the mallard took place. This mythical bird was supposed to have been found in the early days of the college in the sink or the drains. Another explanation is that it derives from the discovery of a medieval seal for a certain William Malard, whose device was a four legged gryphon.
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Id:87 Q:0