MEDALS I

British & Irish Historical Medals
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M689 - Elizabeth I (1558-1603), Support for the United Provinces (Netherlands), 1586, Bronze Medal, 6.14g., 29mm, of Dutch manufacture, m.m. Rose, Elizabeth I enthroned, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, the Governor-General of the United Provinces holding a book with a sword depicted on the open pages, Elizabeth presents a sword to the two deputies of the United Provinces, E R EST ALTRIX ESVRIENTIVM EVM, (Queen Elizabeth is the nourisher of those who hunger after Him, i.e. God), 1586 in the exergue, rev., the word Jehovah in Hebrew shining down from heaven above, a sword pointing upwards into the cloudss below, SERMO DEI QVO ENSE ANCIPI ACVTIOR (The word of God is sharper than nay two-edged sword), (MI 133/87), extremely fine. $345 English political and military support for the Dutch Republic's rebellion against the Spanish was critical for it to succeed. Under the terms of the 1585 Treaty of Nunsuch, the United Provinces were effectively made an English protectorate with the Earl of Leicester as Governor General and Elizabeth I as a sovereign figure head. This medal acknowledges this position as well as strongly evoking the anti-Catholic and anti-Spanish sentiment that tied the Dutch and English together. English support for the Netherlands was one of the main reasons for the Spanish Armada and the attempted invasion of England a year after this medals striking.

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M554 - Elizabeth I (1558-1603), Treaty of Nonesuch, Assistance to the United Provinces (Netherlands) in it’s War of Independence Against Spain, 1585, Bronze Medal or Jeton, 6.07g., 30mm, MACTE ANIMI ROSA NECTARE IMBVTA (Take courage the rose is imbued with nectar), Elizabeth I enthroned and crowned holding a rose branch and presenting roses to the deputies of the United Provinces, rev., two Spaniards eating hay from a manger with a horse and an ass, SPRETA AMBROSIA VESCITOR FENO 1585 (Despising ambrisia he feeds upon hay), (MI 133/86), good very fine. $295
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M556 – Charles I (1625-1649), Silver Counter, 2.29g., 25mm, by Simon Passe, issued 1626 - 1627, stamped in imitation of engraving, bust of Charles I, GIVE THY IUDGEMENTS O GOD UNTO THE KING, rev., bust of Henrietta Maria, (MI I 377,276), cracked, very fine. $35 SOLD
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M555 - The Commonwealth (Republic 1649-1653), Service Against Six Ships, Naval Award Medal, 1650, by Thomas Simon, Gilt Nineteenth Century Electrotype with suspension loop, 2.10g., 53mm, an anchor with the arms of England and Ireland suspended from it, above: MERUISTI (Thou Hast Merited), rev., in the foreground, a ship under attack by two frigates, cannons firing, in the distance four other ships, SERVICE DON AGAINST SIX SHIPS JVLY XXXI & AVGVST Y I 1650, (cf MI I, 390,11), extremely fine, a good antique copy of this extremely rare and important medal, with an early A.H. Baldwin ticket in the hand of the founder A. H. Baldwin (1858-1936). $495 This medal was ordered by the Commonwealth Council of State and Admiralty, to be awarded to 13 officers and seaman who took part in a naval action against ships of the parliamentary fleet that had gone over to the Royalist cause. The action depicted on the reverse is that of HMS Antelope being destroyed in neutral Dutch waters. Amongst the earliest British War Medals and one of the few medals struck by order of the republican government of the Commonwealth.

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M553 - William III and Mary II (1688-1694), Battle of La Hogue, 1692, Lead Medal, by P. H. Müller, 46.16g., 50mm, Neptune with raised trident drives Louis XIV from his marine car, a naval battle scene beyond, rev., Victory tiumpant, the sun setting on the battle scene, with a sinking French ship in the foreground, allied ships sailing away on the horizon, (vL III,118/3), fine. $295 An allied Dutch and English fleet successfully engaged the remnants of a French invasion fleet off the Normandy coast at La Hogue on June 3- 4, 1692. Earlier actions at Barfleur and Cherbourg had seen Louis XIV's fleet, intent on restoring James II to the English throne, dispersed in the days preceding.
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M551 - George I (1714-1727), Silver Jetton or Counter, 3.32g., 25mm, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of George I right, GEORGIVS D G MB F ET H REX F D rev., the Royal arms, (MI II,19), very fine, toned. $95
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M552 - Charles I (1625-1649), Memorial, 1649, Lead Medal, 34.27g., 47mm, by F(?), struck in the Netherlands or Germany, bust of the King facing three-quarters left, his hair long, a mantle draped over his armour, legend in two lines around, CARL. I. V. G. G. KÖNIG VON ENGEL: SCHOTT: LEYDEN GOTT UND OBRIGKEIT, (Charles I, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland and Ireland: God and the Sovereign power suffer), F below the bust, rev., the head of Charles, with his crown and sceptre, lie on the ground at the feet of a seven-headed hydra, BEY DES PÖFELS MACHT UND STREIT (By the mob’s right and strength), (MI I, 352/210), rough surfaces, poor but a rare and interesting medal. $125
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M550 - The Commonwealth, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector (1653-1658), 1653, base silver? medal, 10.00g., 33mm, by an unknown in Geneva after Thomas Simon, armoured and draped bust of Cromwell left, OLIV D G R P ANG SCO ET HIB & PRO (Oliver by the grace of God Protector of the Republic of England, Scotland and Ireland), rev. lion displaying the arms of the Protectorate, PAX QVAERITVR BELLO (peace achieved through war), (MI 409/46), good very fine. $395 NOW $295 Struck by an unknown artist in Switzerland c.1730, the medal closely copied two works by Thomas Simon, the obverse of his 1650, Cromwell as Lord General (MI 388/7) medal and the reverse of the 1653, Lord Protector medal (MI 409/45). It was a commercial venture that reflected the intense popular interest in Cromwell and the English Republic on the continent. The medal was struck to commemorate the dismissal of the Barebones Parliament and the introduction of a new constitution, the Instrument of Government, granting executive power to Cromwell for life as Lord Protector, it was the first written constitution in the English speaking world.
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M525 - Elizabeth I (1558-1603), Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588, AE Counter or Jetton, 3.62g., 29mm, Elizabeth seated in a car holding a palm branch and a prayer book (open at the commencement of the Lord's Prayer (in Dutch), TANDEM BONA CAVSA TRIVMPHAT, 1589 (At length the good cause triumphs), rev., in a tree a nest of young birds defending themselves against attack from a bird of prey, BELLV NECESS (Necessary War), SI NON VIRIBVS AT CAVSA POTIORES (If not strength, yet in our cause more powerful), (MI I, 153/128), extremely fine. $475 SOLD Stuck in the Netherlands in the year after the defeat of the Armada and perhaps alluding to the Elizabeth's procession in a triumphal car through London en-route to a ceremony of thanks at St. Paul's cathedral.
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M526 – Charles I (1625-1649), Birth of Prince Charles (Charles II), 29 March 1630, Silver Medal, 7.87g., 30mm, HACTENVS ANGLORVM NVLLI, four shields with the arms of England, Scotland, France and Ireland in the form of a cross, rev., legend on a square tablet with decoration around, HONOR PRIN MAG BRIT FRA ET HIB NAT 29 MAI ANN 1630, (MI 253/34), good very fine, toned. $265 SOLD
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M527 - The Commonwealth, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector (1653-1658), Death 1658, by John Kirk (1724-1776), silver medal, 5.31g., 25mm, armoured and laureate bust of Cromwell left, Kirk Fec around inner circle, rev. OLIVAR CROMWELL 1658, (MI 435/86; E 188b), an attractive example of this classic medal, very fine, toned. $145 SOLD This medal was produced for and given away with the October 1773 edition of the Sentimental Magazine, published in London, It was one of a series of twelve medals distributed monthly with the magazine from 1773-1774.
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M524 - Frederick the Great, the battles of Rosbach (November 5th, 1757) and Lissa (December 5th, 1757), British Ally in the Seven Years War, 1757, Bronze Medal, 3.14g., 48mm, equestrian figure of Frederick the Great before the battle of Lissa, rev., scene from the battle of Rosbach, (cf MI I, 684/402-403), extremely fine, toned. $195 Frederick the Great's Prussian army resoundingly defeated two combined French and Austrian armies in Germany within the space of a month in late 1757. As a British ally in the Seven Years War Frederick was extremely popular in England.
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M523 - Charles I (1625-1649), Coronation, 1626, silver medal, 9.05g., 30mm, by Nicholas Briot, crowned bust right wearing ruff, coronation robes and the Collar of the Garter, CAROLVS I D G MAG BRITAN FRAN ET HIB REX, signed N B below bust, rev., hand issuing from a cloud holding sword, (MI I, 243/10; E 106), a few marks in the field otherwise very fine, scarce and toned. $595 SOLD The martial theme of this medal is intended to reflect the determination of Charles to continue his fathers military obligations on the continent, with English troops supporting the Dutch in their ongoing struggle with Spain and also in support of his brother-in-law’s, Frederick V the Elector of the Palatinate, claim to the kingdom of Bohemia.
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M522 - James I (1603-1625), The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, Copper Jetton, 5.89g., 31mm, Dutch, unsigned, a snake gliding among lilies and roses DETECVS.QVI.LATVIT.S.C., rev., the name of Jehovah written in Hebrew within a border of thorns, NON.DORMITASTI.ANTISTES IACOBI (MI I, 196/19; Eimer 86; van Loon. II, 22), almost extremely fine. $395 SOLD The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was an attempt to kill James I. Catholic conspirators led by Robert Catesby placed kegs of gunpowder in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament on the night of November 4, 1605. They planned to ignite the gunpowder when James, his eldest son, Prince Henry, and Queen Anne attended the opening of Parliament the following day. One of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes, was deputed to stay with the gunpowder and ignite it at the opportune moment. However, word of the conspiracy leaked out, and royal officials captured Fawkes with the gunpowder. Fawkes, and several other of the conspirators, were put to death. The Gunpowder Plot is remembered each year on Guy Fawkes Night, November 5, when human effigies called "guys" are joyfully burned on bonfires across England
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M521 - George I (1714-1727), Preservation of the Church of England, 1714, Brass Medal, 10.74g., 35mm, by unknown, STET PROTECTORE IEHOVA, a church with a cockerel on the top if it's spire, rev., a serpent swallowing it's own tail and held in place by three hands, LOVE AS BRETHEREN (MI -), very fine. $95 The Hanoverian succession and the political deals struck in the last days of the protestant Stuart Anne's reign ensured the primacy of the protestant Church of England as the state religion in opposition to the catholic Jacobite pretender James Francis Edward Stuart.
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M520 – Charles II (1660-1685), Royalist Supporters Badge, Silver cast and chased badge with suspension loop, 2.22g., 28mm by 18mm, bust of Charles II right, with long hair, CAROLVS SECUNDUS in imitation of engraving around, rev., two angels or victories raising a crown, (MI 444/18), almost extremely fine an attractive item. $745 NOW $595 SOLD Medals of this type were struck in support of Charles II both prior to his restoration or in celebration of the event. Given its small size and the younger uncrowned bust this example is likely to have been struck and worn prior to the restoration by an individual loyal to the Royalist cause either on the continent in exile or surreptitiously at home under the Republic. The small size would better enable its wearer to conceal the medal beneath clothing.
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M505 - SCOTLAND, Edinburgh Skating Club, Silver Prize Medal, 50mm, awarded to John Jopp WS, 30 December, 1830, Edinburgh George IV hallmark, makers mark JM, Mercury advancing right, OCTOR EURO, rev., EDINBURGH SKATING CLUB / JOHN JOPP WS / 30 DECEMBER / 1830, an attractive medal from the worlds first and oldest skating societies. $295 SOLD The Edinburgh Skating Club was established in 1742 as the world's first, membership carried with it an acknowledgment of social status. John Jopp WS (Writer to the Signet) was a Scottish lawyer, practicing in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, he was a member of the ancient Scottish legal 'Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet' established in 1594.
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M312 - Queen Caroline wife of George II (1727-1760), The Official Coronation Medal, 11 October 1727, silver, 34mm, by John Croker, draped bust of Caroline left with lovelock on neck, rev., Queen attended by Religion and Britannia, HIC. AMOR HAEC PATRIA (This, my affection; this, my country), in exergue, CORON XI OCTOB MDCCXXVII, (MI II,8), cleaned in the past with hairlines, good very fine. $195