Statue of Lord Nelson, Birmingham

It was made in 1809 by public subscription of £2,500 by the people of Birmingham following Nelson's visit to the town on 31 August 1802, the year before he sailed against the fleets of Napoleon.

Nelson stands in uniform, with his one arm resting on an anchor with the prow of a miniature ship: HMS Victory.

It originally stood on a cylindrical marble plinth carved with the people of Birmingham, surrounded by iron railings with lanterns standing on upended cannon at each corner.

The statue was originally erected on the site of the Old Cross, a two-storey building (a meeting hall over an open space), built in 1703 and demolished in August 1784.

In 2009, to mark the 200th anniversary of the statue's unveiling, a medal was struck by St Paul's Mint of Birmingham.

Statue of Lord Nelson, The Bull Ring, Birmingham
Nelson and his ship
The statue in 1898, with Birmingham Market Hall behind it. The lamp posts, made from naval cannons, were part of the original design.