Description

Charles I. 1625-1649. Silver Medal n. d. (1625), 0.88 g. Uniface strike. Marriage of Princess Henrietta Maria. Unsigned. Crowned bust in rich dress, flower bouquet on the left. MARIA . REGINA . ANGLIAE. Plain edge. 22.2 mm. Eimer -. MI -. Med. Hist. pl. CLXXXII, 5 (this specimen). Wahrscheinlich Unikat / Probably unique. Vorzüglich / Extremely Fine.

Purchased from Spink Numismatic Circular, London, March 1998, lot 1619.

This piece is a shell without reverse and it was probably struck at the time of Henrietta's marriage or in the following year. The object of these thin plaques of silver is uncertain. One suggestion is that they were bezants or offerings at high festivals, but more probably they were intended to be used as ornaments to be worn on dresses or on hats. The pot, from which spring the rose and the lily, is a charming addition to the design.