Baldwin's of St. James's
Auction 34 12 Jun 2019
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Commemorative Medals, Sir Robert Walpole (1676 –1745), statesman and first Prime Minister of Great Britain, copper portrait medal [1741], by Lorenz Natter, dr. bust r. in high relief, ROBERTUS WALPOLE ORD PERISCELIDIS EQVES, rev. statue of Cicero, MTC [Marcus Tullius Cicero] below, REGIT DICTIS ANIMOS, the edge engraved with scroll and legend, REGIT NVMMIS ANIMOS ET NVMMIS REGITVR IPSE, 49.5mm. (MI.563/195 [562/193]; Eimer 562; Nau fig. 15 & p.35), extremely fine and extremely rare with the edge legend
Walpole served as Great Britain's first Prime Minister, 1721-1742, having been a Whig MP since 1701; he was created a Knight of the Garter in 1726 and created 1st Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole and Baron Walpole of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, on 6 February 1742 at the time of his resignation. The portrait is after the 1726 marble bust by John Michael Rysbrack (1694-1770), at Houghton Hall, Walpole's country house, whilst the statue of Cicero seems to be that now in the Ashmolean Museum collected by Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel.
It is recorded that the medallist, Lorenz Natter (1705-1763), was dining with Count Adam Gottlob Greve Moltke (1710-1792, courtier, statesman and Prime Minister of Denmark) in Denmark when the Walpole medal was discussed and how one version of it had the reverse legend altered to REGIT NVMMIS ANIMOS (MI 562/194). Some wit then suggested that REGIT NVMMIS ANIMOS ET NVMMIS REGITVR IPSE [He governs minds by money and by money is himself governed] would be more suitable. The British Museum has an example of the medal in silver with this inscription.
(250-350 GBP)
Walpole served as Great Britain's first Prime Minister, 1721-1742, having been a Whig MP since 1701; he was created a Knight of the Garter in 1726 and created 1st Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole and Baron Walpole of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, on 6 February 1742 at the time of his resignation. The portrait is after the 1726 marble bust by John Michael Rysbrack (1694-1770), at Houghton Hall, Walpole's country house, whilst the statue of Cicero seems to be that now in the Ashmolean Museum collected by Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel.
It is recorded that the medallist, Lorenz Natter (1705-1763), was dining with Count Adam Gottlob Greve Moltke (1710-1792, courtier, statesman and Prime Minister of Denmark) in Denmark when the Walpole medal was discussed and how one version of it had the reverse legend altered to REGIT NVMMIS ANIMOS (MI 562/194). Some wit then suggested that REGIT NVMMIS ANIMOS ET NVMMIS REGITVR IPSE [He governs minds by money and by money is himself governed] would be more suitable. The British Museum has an example of the medal in silver with this inscription.
(250-350 GBP)