This is a gilt electrotype medal made in the 19th century, in England. This electrotype medal was casted from an unidentified cameo. The obverse of this medal represents the bust of Queen Elizabeth and the reverse shows a city in an island from the middle of which a tree grows up.
The motto on the reverse alludes to the belief that the laurel tree was immune to lightning and alludes to Elizabeth's resistance to Catholicism at home and the external threat of Philip II's invasion.
The method was invented by Moritz von Jacobi in Russia in 1838. It has complemented the older form of stereotyping. A mold is made, often of wax and then coated with very fine graphite powder or paint. The mold will then be suspended in an electrolyte solution.
In printing electrotypes are used instead of the original for long press runs, to avoid wear and damage to expensive type and linecuts. Electrotypes also can duplicate and replace linoleum cuts, woodcuts, and wood engravings and are used to duplicate metal sculpture. In the 19th century, museums often displayed electrotypes of ancient coins instead of the originals and individuals purchased electrotypes for their private collections.