Heritage World Coin Auctions
CSNS Signature Sale 3073 25-26 & 29 Apr 2019
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Great Britain
Commonwealth silver "Trial and Acquittal of John Lilburn" Medal 1649 VF, Eimer-177, MI-I-385/3. 33.5mm. Edge plain. A charming Commonwealth era medal produced to commemorate the acquittal of John Lilburn, a political agitator charged with High Treason for libel against the Cromwellian administration. This medal has been attributed to the work of the engraver Thomas Simon for decades, but the cataloger notes it is far more likely to be the work of David Ramage, provost of the Royal Mint moneyers. Simon is well-known for his exceptional skill in medallic engraving, and such skill earned him the honor of engraving the grand seal of the Commonwealth, an undertaking which began in 1649 and took him several years to complete. Accordingly, he was unlikely to be in a position to distract himself with the engraving of minor medals such as this at the same time. In addition, the simplistic engraving of this present piece lends itself far more to Ramage than the more talented Simon, with its 'twisted rope' inner borders, its lozenge-shaped stops, its five-pointed star initial mark, the style and shape of lettering, and the overall shallowness of detail; all of these features are commonly seen on Ramage's trade Farthings. This would make the present medal Ramage's earliest known major work and thus highly important. Despite a planchet flaw at 6 o'clock and moderate flat wear, this medal remains intensely appealing to the eye and a wonderful piece of numismatic intrigue.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 1000-1500 USD
Commonwealth silver "Trial and Acquittal of John Lilburn" Medal 1649 VF, Eimer-177, MI-I-385/3. 33.5mm. Edge plain. A charming Commonwealth era medal produced to commemorate the acquittal of John Lilburn, a political agitator charged with High Treason for libel against the Cromwellian administration. This medal has been attributed to the work of the engraver Thomas Simon for decades, but the cataloger notes it is far more likely to be the work of David Ramage, provost of the Royal Mint moneyers. Simon is well-known for his exceptional skill in medallic engraving, and such skill earned him the honor of engraving the grand seal of the Commonwealth, an undertaking which began in 1649 and took him several years to complete. Accordingly, he was unlikely to be in a position to distract himself with the engraving of minor medals such as this at the same time. In addition, the simplistic engraving of this present piece lends itself far more to Ramage than the more talented Simon, with its 'twisted rope' inner borders, its lozenge-shaped stops, its five-pointed star initial mark, the style and shape of lettering, and the overall shallowness of detail; all of these features are commonly seen on Ramage's trade Farthings. This would make the present medal Ramage's earliest known major work and thus highly important. Despite a planchet flaw at 6 o'clock and moderate flat wear, this medal remains intensely appealing to the eye and a wonderful piece of numismatic intrigue.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 1000-1500 USD