Watch List notes:

British Medals, Charles II, Coronation 1661, the 'IAM FLORESCIT' medal, cast in gilt-silver, by Thomas Simon, laureate bust l., wearing robes and lace cravat, with Garter Collar and George, CAROLVS II DG MAG BRIT FRA ET HIB REX ET DE, rev. the Royal Oak flourishes, crowns of the three kingdoms in its branches, sun in majesty above, IAM FLO-RESCIT, date in ex., 23 APR 1661, 43.5mm. (MI.475/83; Eimer 219, this specimen illustrated; Vertue XXVII; Farquhar 251), cast in high relief, neatly chased, nearly extremely fine and extremely rare
*ex 'English Collector', Glendinings, 16 March 1989, lot 679
Records indicate that the medal was intended to be a Royal award or presentation (two cooks and a musician known to have received it in gold). Another suggestion was that it was to be the Badge for the Knights of the Royal Oak, an Order that, in the end, was never established, this view shared by Luke Syson, 'Designs on Posterity: Drawings for Medals', FIDEM 1992, British Art Medal Trust, 1994: p.230, 4f. The slight scuffing to the edge suggests it might have been set into a border with a loop for wearing. Marvin Lessen, The Commonwealth Naval Medals for 1653, BNJ 1997, makes a reference to 'The enigmatic gold IAM FLORESCIT medal of the early 1660s to cooks and musicians.'
(2000-2500 GBP)