Great Britain
Oliver Cromwell gold Death Medal 1658 MS62 NGC, Eimer-201, MI 434-84. Milled edge. An exceptional example of this scarce medal produced in Holland near-contemporary to the original issuance of the medal by Thomas Simon. The details are exquisite, particularly on the reverse, and the coppery tone throughout barely tempers reflective fields. A hint of the die break that would end the initial run of this type may be noted both before and after the portrait of Cromwell. Medallic Illustrations notes that "the dies of the smaller piece after some use failed, and a new die of the obverse was engraved, and the defect of the reverse removed by polishing; but with the defect some of the work has been destroyed. The early impressions have the edge milled." The milled edge on the present offering leads us to conclude that is a part of the first run produced before the die failure and, indeed, the details in the reverse pastoral scene are much sharper overall than typically seen on the plain-edge examples.
Estimate: 5000-6000 USD