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The Royal Asiatic Society Medal was instigated in 2000 to replace the Society's Triennial Gold Medal and to be awarded in recognition of an outstanding contribution to scholarship in the field of Asian Studies. A new design for the Medal was sought and this was commissioned from Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn. The medal took longstanding symbols of the Society and gave them a modern twist. She suggested:

'The starting point for the design of the medal was an article by John Hansman in the Society's Journal of 1984: ‘The Emblems, Medals and Medallists of The Royal Asiatic Society’. I was very inspired by the Daniells’ design of a caparisoned elephant for a signet, first produced in 1824, which was used to seal letters and documents. A simplified version of this design by Professor Perceval Yetts has become the ‘logo’ of the society, stamped on its letter head and on all its publications, and so it was a particularly appropriate image to use. I depicted the signet impressed into the brass as if it were wax, to act as a metaphor for the medal as a ‘seal of approval’. Unlike most Victorian award medals the lettering is incised, this is so that it will blend in with the name of the recipient, which obviously has to be engraved at a later date. In 1823 the Banyan tree was chosen for the society’s official seal by the Council and it has been depicted on previous medals commissioned by the society. It is a magnificent tree and an apt symbol of the society, growing strong and branching out. The medal was cast (rather than struck) which allows for more depth in modelling and I tried to take advantage of that by depicting the tree as a mature and vigorous plant, still growing strongly.' (Email, see details in the catalogue).

The medal was first awarded to John Gullick in 2001 with subsequent awards being made:
2003 – Professor Edmund Bosworth
2006 – Professor Christopher Shackle
2009 – Professor Sir Christopher Bayly
2014 – Dr Bridget Allchin and Professor David Bivar
2019 - Professors Carole and Robert Hillenbrand
2023 – Robert Irwin

The material covered by this catalogue consists of correspondence and administrative documents concerning the setting up of the award and the commissioning of the medal, and the individual awards. There are also photographs of some of the award events and a sample of the medal.

Correspondence concerning, and drafts of papers read at, General Meetings. Lists of lecture dates for 1865 and 1868.

Lecture cards, publicity posters, and photographs for lectures held between 2010 and 2020. This includes material for the main Lecture Series, Book Launches and the Student Series which ran until 2016 when the two series were combined.

Lecture cards, Publicity posters, photographs and administrative documents for lectures held between 2000 and 2010. This included material for the main lecture series, as well as the Student Series which ran concurrently from 2006 forward.

Correspondence concerning the setting up of the O.W. Sansom Award. These are:

• Letter from Elizabeth Samson (Mrs M.E. Samson) to Sir Cyril Philips, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to ask to arrange a meeting to discuss the possibility of setting up a Fellowship in memory of her husband. Typed, 1 piece, dated 1 September 1986.
• 'To Consider: Proposal for an annual award in honour of Dr O.W. Samson', a statement setting out the details of the award. Typed, 1 piece, undated.
• Note from Elizabeth Samson to Sir Cyril Philips to thank for his letter and enclosure but to ask for a correction to be made on the spelling of the name. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 20 December 1986.
• Letter from Cyril Philips to Anne Southwark, to enclose Elizabeth's Samson's note. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 9 January 1987.
• Note from Elizabeth Samson to Anne Southwark to enclose the cheque for the donation. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 17 February 1987. The note is annotated to state the cheque was received on 23 February and acknowledged on 24 February 1987.

Correspondence regarding the death of Elizabeth Samson:

• Letter from Lydia Collins, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Dr D.W. MacDowall, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to inform of a phone call she had received relating the circumstances of Elizabeth Samson's death. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 12 September 1994.
• Letter from Dr D.W. MacDowall, to Mr and Mrs Richard Lake, sister and brother-in-law of Elizabeth Samson, to send the condolences of the Society on the death of Elizabeth Samson. Typed, 1 piece, dated 15 September 1994.

Documents and correspondence concerned with the administration of the Award:

• Letter from Elizabeth Samson to Professor A.D.H. Bivar, President, Royal Asiatic Society, expressing her concerns that the Award should primarily be for student travel. She has only been informed of one use of the Award for a publication, Islamic Fundamentalism, following a seminar. She asks for a meeting to be arranged to discuss the matter. Handwritten, one piece, dated 22 July 1991.
• List of correspondence concerning the award, mentions of its use, and current details of the account. Handwritten, 1 piece, undated [1991].
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar to John Payne, Hon. Treasurer, Royal Asiatic Society, to inform concerning the letter sent from Elizabeth Samson, and proposing visiting her in September to discuss her concerns. Typed, 1 piece, dated 30 July 1991.
• Copy of a letter from John Payne to Ralph Pinder-Wilson to inform of Elizabeth Samson's letter and the impending visit on which he will accompany Professor Bivar. Typed, 1 piece, dated 1 August 1991.
• 'File Note: Dr. O.W. Samson Fund' - Note on the forthcoming visit to Mrs Samson and the references to the fund in the Council Minutes. Typed, 1 piece, dated 1 August 1991.
• 'Dr. O.W. Samson Fund' - report, written by John Payne, on the visit of the President and the Honorary Treasurer to Elizabeth Samson and the proposals for the administration of a Travelling Award, Typed, 3 pieces, dated 16 September 1991.
• Letter from Elizabeth Samson to Lydia Collins, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to thank for her letter and to ask her to thank Professor Bivar and John Payne for their understanding. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 15 December 1991.
• Note from Sharon Eicher to the Royal Asiatic Society to ask if she is eligible to apply for the award. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 1 April 1992.
• Letter from Clio Whittaker, SOAS Journals, to Lydia Collins, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to enclose a copy of the Bulletin in which the Society had placed an advertisement for the O.W. Samson Travelling Award and to send the invoice. Two pieces, typed and handwritten, dated 3 November 1992.
• 'The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, O.W. Samson Travelling Award (1993)' - notice of the award and to invite applications. Printed, 2 copies.
• List of institutions to which adverts had been sent. Typed, 1 piece, dated August 1993.

Material for events held between 2011-2021:

2011
6 June: Visit by a Turkish Group.

• Three digital photographs.

10 July: Lunch with Cambridge University Press.

• Four digital photographs.

August: Visit by Oriental Club.

• Letter of thanks for the visit, 1 piece, dated 1 September 2011.

17 September: Open House, held at the Royal Asiatic Society, as part of Open City.

• Correspondence regarding participation, 2 pieces, dated 9 June 2011.
• 24 digital photographs.

2013
14 March: Dinner held in celebration of the 190th anniversary of the Society, at Sardo, Grafton Street, London.

• Publicity poster, electronic document.

29 May: Visit by the Royal Asiatic Society to Sezincote House.

• Publicity poster, 2 electronic documents. Booking form, electronic document.

2014
20-21 September: Open House.

• Open House London, Architectural information for the Royal Asiatic Society, 1 piece.
• Open House London Map for Marylebone to Bloomsbury, 1 piece.

14 November: Display of Byzantine Bookbinding,

• 77 digital photographs.

2015
17 July: Visit of the Royal Asiatic Society to the South Asian Decorative Arts and Crafts Collection Trust, Norwich.

• Seven digital photographs.

25 September: Oud Concert by Joseph Tawadros.

• Publicity poster, 2 pieces.
• Five digital photographs.

20 November: 'Tea and Testimony', a creative writing workshop held as part of Explore your Archive Week, with tutor Emily Filtness.

• Publicity posters, 4 pieces.
• Report on the event by Nancy Charley, Archivist.

9 December: Sale of Kope Scarves.

• Publicity poster, electronic document.
• Four digital photographs.

2016
14 June: Oud Concert by Joseph Tawadros.

• Publicity poster, electronic document.
• Four digital photographs.

27 October: Oud concert by Baba Yetkin.

• Publicity poster, electronic document.
• Three digital photographs.

16 November: Diwali celebration at which Dr Menaka Bora performed Indian classical dance.

• Publicity poster, electronic document.

23 November: 'Writ in Water,' a creative writing workshop held as part of Explore your Archive Week, with tutor Emily Filtness.

• Publicity poster, electronic document.
• Creative writing prompts, electronic document.
• Report on the event by Nancy Charley, Archivist, electronic document.

2017
16 June: Celebration of 'Conversation Piece' a commissioned painting of five Presidents and the Director of the Society.

• Publicity poster, electronic document.
• Nine digital photographs.

16 October: Visit by Julie Chun, Royal Asiatic Society, China.

• Four digital photographs.

2018
9 October: A concert by Chalpasah, the only Japanese Afghan band.

• Publicity poster, electronic document.
• Three digital photographs.

2019
3 October: Evening to celebrate the conservation of the braid of a Burmese manuscript.

• Ten digital photographs.

2021
28 September: Visit to the Royal Asiatic Society by the Travellers Club with dinner.

• Menu card, 1 piece.
• Fifteen digital photographs.

Information regarding conferences and study events held from 2011-2020. There is little material for these events as yet available archivally. The documents within the archives are:

2015
26 September: 'Updating Hodgson: A Study day on the work of Brian Houghton Hodgson, 'Father of Himalayan Studies', held at the Royal Asiatic Society in association with the Bagri Foundation.

• Publicity poster with a programme containing speakers and their papers, and further background information, 3 pieces.

9-10 October: 'Muslim South Asia Graduate Conference 2015', convened by the Muslim South Asia Research Forum, Royal Asiatic Society, and SOAS; and held at SOAS.

• Publicity poster advertising the conference and the keynote speaker, Professor Michael Boivin, 1 piece.
• Conference programme listing panels, speakers and papers presented, 2 pieces.

Information regarding conferences and study events held from 2007-2010. These are:

2007
17-18 May: The International Seminar, 'Britain and the Malay World' , organised by the Royal Asiatic Society in collaboration with the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.

• Programme including abstracts for papers presented, spiral bound book, with 3 additional pages inserted regarding accommodation and Malaysian restaurants in London.
• Sample invitation for the reception to celebrate the symposium held in honour of the 50th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.
• Correspondence concerning the administration of the seminar, 10 pieces, dated 12 December 2006-11 September 2007.

27 July: A Workshop on ' Historiography, pedagogy and future histories of 1857', held at the Royal Asiatic Society with funding by the Society, the British Academy and the University of Edinburgh's 'Mutiny at the Margins' research project.

• Programme for the event with list of speakers and papers presented, 2 versions, 3 pieces.

2008
4 October: Study Day, 'A Journey through Kazakhstan', in association with The British Museum, the Royal Asiatic Society and the British-Kazakh Society, held at the BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum.

• Programmes for the study day, 4 versions of differing detail, the most detailed containing full abstracts for the papers, 21 pieces.
• Correspondence of congratulations on the success of the day, 1 piece, undated.
• CD-ROM produced by the British-Kazakh Society of the Kazakh Study Day.