As a member of the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, the Staffordshire pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood instructed his senior craftsman, William Hackwood, to prepare a medallion that would encourage people to join the campaign.

Hackwood produced a small cameo which featured a kneeling slave in chains and the motto ‘Am I Not A Man and A Brother?

The medallion, first made in 1787, became a popular icon and was worn as a badge and in hatpins, brooches and necklaces. It was also inset into other items such as snuff boxes and turned into a coin, like the one displayed in our museum.

Wedgwood, who started his business in 1759, admired John Wesley and is said to have presented him with a special teapot that was then subsequently mass produced. His company was responsible for many items of ‘Wesleyana’ in the 19th century.