Baldwin's of St. James's
Auction 10 22 Sep 2017
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British Coins and Medals, Elizabeth I, silver oval portrait medal by Simon van de Passe (1595-1647), c. 1616, in imitation of engraving, signed 'Si: Pas. f›, in narrow border at top of obverse, bust of Elizabeth three-quarters r., her eyes turned to the viewer, wearing small crown, her hair richly jewelled, wearing her 'Armada' dress with high ruff collar (after the miniature by Isaac Oliver), rev. crowned Royal shield within Garter, Lion and Unicorn supporters, DIEV ET MON DROIT on ribbon above, Latin epigram on tablet below, QVI LEO DE IVDA EST ET FLOS DE IESSE LEONES PROTEGAT ET FLORES ELIZABETHA TVOS, 61 x 49.5 mm. (MI.183/187; Farquhar 138; Foley 539), very fine with minute piercing at top, extremely rare
This specimen without known pedigree - a possible 11 other silver medals have been recorded, of which four are in Museum collections.
'This portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I derives closely from the full-length Queen Elizabeth I (holding sceptre in right hand and orb in left hand) by Crispin I van de Passe. The latter was probably the most popular and influential of all the engravings of the Queen's likeness and more than one hundred derivatives have been traced', British Museum. The 'Armada' dress was that worn to the service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral. MI attributes the epigram to a 'Westminster scholar' whilst also attributing the contemporary translation to another: 'May Juda's lyon and the root of Jesse / Protect thy lyons and thy flowers, Sweet Bess' (this legend was re-used on a commemorative medal for the 450th anniversary of the founding of Westminster School in 2010).
Simon van de Passe (1595 - 6 May 1647), born in Cologne, the second son of Crispin van de Passe, an eminent artist and engraver from Utrecht, who was to teach him the art of engraving. He worked in Utrecht from 1612, coming to England in 1615, living here some 10 years mostly in the employment of Nicholas Hillard. In 1624, he moved to the service of the King of Denmark, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Inventory of known examples of the Elizabeth medal
This list acknowledges the unfinished and unpublished reference, The Medallic Works of Simon de Passe, by Richard Falkiner, FSA.
Gold: Royal Collection, Windsor Castle, in gold (presented to The Queen by Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman, on the occasion of his state visit to Britain in March 1982, purchased at Asprey's); Major General E. H. Goulburn, Christies, 27 November, 1962 (lot 256); Greta Heckett, Sotheby, 25 May, 1977 (lot 210 - £22,000, Brand Inglis [?])
Silver: 1 & 2 - British Museum; a = Medallic Illustrations; b = Anne Hull Grundy bequest, bought at unidentified auction dated 15 November 1977, lot 182, described as ‹Elizabeth 1, silver portrait medal by Simon de Passe, c.1616' (MI.183/187), pierced for suspension also suspension loop with twist border, very fine and rare›.
3.Fitzwilliam Museum, gift of Leonard Daneham Cunliffe, 1937.
4.National Maritime Museum
5. Rt. Hon. Erik Alexander, 5th Earl of Caledon Collection, Christie's, 4 April 1967, vendor un-named (lot 137, £550, Frank Partridge); Christie's, 17 February, 1987 (lot 187, £8000, Cyril Humphris); Morton & Eden, 20-21 May, 2003 (lot 1116 – there catalogued as un-signed, £5,800, Falkiner); Christopher Foley (Woolley & Wallis, 16 October, 2014, £13,500 hammer, Arnold Peter Weiss)
6. Samuel Tyssen, Sotheby, 12 April, 1802 (lot 322, £0-15-0, Miles)
7. Thomas Thomas, Sotheby 23 February or 28 July, 1844; William Pitt Amhurst, Viscount Holmsdale, Sotheby 8 July, 1850; Jacob Astley, 16th Baron Hastings, Sotheby, 15 November, 1880; Thomas Miller Whitehead, Sotheby, 5 May, 1898 (lot 30, £43, Spink)
8. Hymen Montagu, Sotheby, 24 May, 1897 (lot 66, £16, Spink)
9. Philip Spence, Sotheby, 31 March 1947 (lot 272, £52, Baldwin); H. M. Lingford, Glendining, 20 June, 1951 (lot 1287)
10. Cyril Hughes Hartman, Glendining, 27 May 1957 (lot 207, £24, Spink)
11. Sotheby, 9 April, 1981, lot 193a (£180), unsold
12. The Albert Collection, ex Brand Inglis, c.1992 [Robin Butler, The Albert Collection, p.310)
A. B. Daniell & Sons Ltd, Antique Dealers, 42-46 Wigmore Street, London, advertised a group of de Passe medals in The Burlington Magazine, 1913, including an Elizabeth I. (8500-12500 GBP)
This specimen without known pedigree - a possible 11 other silver medals have been recorded, of which four are in Museum collections.
'This portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I derives closely from the full-length Queen Elizabeth I (holding sceptre in right hand and orb in left hand) by Crispin I van de Passe. The latter was probably the most popular and influential of all the engravings of the Queen's likeness and more than one hundred derivatives have been traced', British Museum. The 'Armada' dress was that worn to the service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral. MI attributes the epigram to a 'Westminster scholar' whilst also attributing the contemporary translation to another: 'May Juda's lyon and the root of Jesse / Protect thy lyons and thy flowers, Sweet Bess' (this legend was re-used on a commemorative medal for the 450th anniversary of the founding of Westminster School in 2010).
Simon van de Passe (1595 - 6 May 1647), born in Cologne, the second son of Crispin van de Passe, an eminent artist and engraver from Utrecht, who was to teach him the art of engraving. He worked in Utrecht from 1612, coming to England in 1615, living here some 10 years mostly in the employment of Nicholas Hillard. In 1624, he moved to the service of the King of Denmark, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Inventory of known examples of the Elizabeth medal
This list acknowledges the unfinished and unpublished reference, The Medallic Works of Simon de Passe, by Richard Falkiner, FSA.
Gold: Royal Collection, Windsor Castle, in gold (presented to The Queen by Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman, on the occasion of his state visit to Britain in March 1982, purchased at Asprey's); Major General E. H. Goulburn, Christies, 27 November, 1962 (lot 256); Greta Heckett, Sotheby, 25 May, 1977 (lot 210 - £22,000, Brand Inglis [?])
Silver: 1 & 2 - British Museum; a = Medallic Illustrations; b = Anne Hull Grundy bequest, bought at unidentified auction dated 15 November 1977, lot 182, described as ‹Elizabeth 1, silver portrait medal by Simon de Passe, c.1616' (MI.183/187), pierced for suspension also suspension loop with twist border, very fine and rare›.
3.Fitzwilliam Museum, gift of Leonard Daneham Cunliffe, 1937.
4.National Maritime Museum
5. Rt. Hon. Erik Alexander, 5th Earl of Caledon Collection, Christie's, 4 April 1967, vendor un-named (lot 137, £550, Frank Partridge); Christie's, 17 February, 1987 (lot 187, £8000, Cyril Humphris); Morton & Eden, 20-21 May, 2003 (lot 1116 – there catalogued as un-signed, £5,800, Falkiner); Christopher Foley (Woolley & Wallis, 16 October, 2014, £13,500 hammer, Arnold Peter Weiss)
6. Samuel Tyssen, Sotheby, 12 April, 1802 (lot 322, £0-15-0, Miles)
7. Thomas Thomas, Sotheby 23 February or 28 July, 1844; William Pitt Amhurst, Viscount Holmsdale, Sotheby 8 July, 1850; Jacob Astley, 16th Baron Hastings, Sotheby, 15 November, 1880; Thomas Miller Whitehead, Sotheby, 5 May, 1898 (lot 30, £43, Spink)
8. Hymen Montagu, Sotheby, 24 May, 1897 (lot 66, £16, Spink)
9. Philip Spence, Sotheby, 31 March 1947 (lot 272, £52, Baldwin); H. M. Lingford, Glendining, 20 June, 1951 (lot 1287)
10. Cyril Hughes Hartman, Glendining, 27 May 1957 (lot 207, £24, Spink)
11. Sotheby, 9 April, 1981, lot 193a (£180), unsold
12. The Albert Collection, ex Brand Inglis, c.1992 [Robin Butler, The Albert Collection, p.310)
A. B. Daniell & Sons Ltd, Antique Dealers, 42-46 Wigmore Street, London, advertised a group of de Passe medals in The Burlington Magazine, 1913, including an Elizabeth I. (8500-12500 GBP)