Spink
Auction 23148 31 May 2023
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Coronation of George III and Queen Charlotte, Official AR Medal, 22 September 1761, by Johann Lorenz Natter for the Royal Mint, GEORGIVS • III • D • G • M • BRI • FRA • ET • HIB • REX • F • D •, laureate and armoured bust right, rev. PATRIAE • OVANTI, the King enthroned, crowned by Britannia, CORONAT • XXII • SEPT, date below in exergue, edge plain, 34mm, 20.74g, 6h (Eimer 694; BHM 22-23), heavily cleaned and lightly contact marked with unnaturally burnished fields, some minor rim bruising, otherwise scarcely very fine.
Provenance
'CA', by private treaty, 1985 - £28, ,
The initial design for George III's Coronation Medal by John Sigismund Tanner of the Royal Mint was rejected by the Committee of the Privy Council,. When further revisions were also turned down, the King decided to look elsewhere. He eventually appointed Lorenz Natter, a German native and the Chief Engraver of the Utrecht Mint. Despite this, the medal's iconography closely aligned with that of both George I and George II, showing the King enthroned, being crowned by Britannia. A separate issue for his consort, Queen Charlotte depicted a similar affair.
, ,
Even though the medal's inscription reads 'For his rejoicing country', the day of Coronation was less successful than hoped. The King and Queen were brought from St James's Palace to Westminster Hall in sedan chairs and then walked the route to the Abbey starting at 11am. On route, the Bishop of Rochester nearly dropped the Crown he was carrying, only saved by the fact it had been pinned to the cushion on which it sat. Both the procession and ceremony were incredibly long, with the service dragging out for almost six hours! One spectator noted that there were "numerous mistakes and stupidities", another that "the whole was confusion, irregularity and disorder". The chairs for the Monarchs had been forgotten, as had the Swords of State and the canopy, and at one point in the proceedings, a large stone is reputed to have fallen from the Crown, later said to have been an omen predicting American Independence. After the ceremony was over, the Queen decided to visit her retiring chamber, only to find in there the Duke of Newcastle, who was in the middle of using her personal close stool. When the King complained to the Earl of Effingham about the many problems, the Earl admitted there had been 'some neglect' but he would ensure the same would not happen at the next Coronation, forgetting that of course, the King would not be there! King George was highly amused by this answer, and as such asked him to repeat it several times!
, ,
Spink wishes to thank Ella Mackenzie for the investigative historical research
Estimate: £120 - £160
Provenance
'CA', by private treaty, 1985 - £28, ,
The initial design for George III's Coronation Medal by John Sigismund Tanner of the Royal Mint was rejected by the Committee of the Privy Council,. When further revisions were also turned down, the King decided to look elsewhere. He eventually appointed Lorenz Natter, a German native and the Chief Engraver of the Utrecht Mint. Despite this, the medal's iconography closely aligned with that of both George I and George II, showing the King enthroned, being crowned by Britannia. A separate issue for his consort, Queen Charlotte depicted a similar affair.
, ,
Even though the medal's inscription reads 'For his rejoicing country', the day of Coronation was less successful than hoped. The King and Queen were brought from St James's Palace to Westminster Hall in sedan chairs and then walked the route to the Abbey starting at 11am. On route, the Bishop of Rochester nearly dropped the Crown he was carrying, only saved by the fact it had been pinned to the cushion on which it sat. Both the procession and ceremony were incredibly long, with the service dragging out for almost six hours! One spectator noted that there were "numerous mistakes and stupidities", another that "the whole was confusion, irregularity and disorder". The chairs for the Monarchs had been forgotten, as had the Swords of State and the canopy, and at one point in the proceedings, a large stone is reputed to have fallen from the Crown, later said to have been an omen predicting American Independence. After the ceremony was over, the Queen decided to visit her retiring chamber, only to find in there the Duke of Newcastle, who was in the middle of using her personal close stool. When the King complained to the Earl of Effingham about the many problems, the Earl admitted there had been 'some neglect' but he would ensure the same would not happen at the next Coronation, forgetting that of course, the King would not be there! King George was highly amused by this answer, and as such asked him to repeat it several times!
, ,
Spink wishes to thank Ella Mackenzie for the investigative historical research
Estimate: £120 - £160