Bid SheetAuction 120 15 Apr 2026
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Charles I, Return to London, gold medal, 1633, by Nicolas Briot, King on horseback rides to l., holding baton, crowned rose on flank, his plumed helmet amidst flowers on ground, legend with eye of Prudence at start, CAROLVS AVGVSTISS ET INVICTISS MAG BRIT FRAN ET HIB MONARCHA, rev. panoramic view of London seen from the south bank of the Thames (after Claes Visscher), showing old St. Paul's Cathedral, boats and swans on the river and London Bridge with traitors' heads on spikes at the Stone Gateway on the south bank, legend after E mint mark, SOL ORBEMREDIENS SIC REX ILLVMINAT VRBEM, 42.11mm., 24.96gms. (MI 266/62; Eimer 124; BMC [Jones – French Medals] 157 [struck gold]; Platt p. 135, type B; - Companion volume, p. 130, this specimen illustrated in both), an excellent cast, good very fine and exceptionally rare
*ex. Morton & Eden, June 2009 (lot 331), "The Property of a Gentleman" .
Examples of this medal in gold are excessively rare, especially so in the commercial market. This is possibly because, when Charles I arrived back in London, the city was at the tail-end of a period of outbreaks of plague and the planned procession from the Tower of London to Westminster was cancelled. This may be so, however after the Coronation ceremony held on 18 June 1633 and the King's stay in Edinburgh, where he had entertained lavishly, there was a disaster at Burntisland at the start of his journey home. The King witnessed the small ship carrying all his belongings and plate sank, with the total loss of the cargo and 35 lives (of the 37 on board). The King fi nally left on Friday 12th July arriving at Greenwich on Saturday 20th July. He would have been in no mood to hand out gold medals on his return to London. The British Museum have a struck specimen in gold, presented to them by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, however there is no gold specimen in the Royal Collection. In commerce, an example in gold is found in the Montagu Collection, 24 May 1897 (lot 121), sold £8-15-0 to H[enry] Osborne O'Hagan (1853-1930). When re-sold in the O'Hagan sale, 27 April 1908 (lot 849 - on the 5th day), it sold for £3-15-0, less than half his purchase price. A second gold specimen was in the Murdoch Collection, 2 June 1904 (lot 57), which sold for £15 to Ready. Neither of these medals are illustrated in the respective catalogues.
Estimate: 27500 - 32500 GBP
*ex. Morton & Eden, June 2009 (lot 331), "The Property of a Gentleman" .
Examples of this medal in gold are excessively rare, especially so in the commercial market. This is possibly because, when Charles I arrived back in London, the city was at the tail-end of a period of outbreaks of plague and the planned procession from the Tower of London to Westminster was cancelled. This may be so, however after the Coronation ceremony held on 18 June 1633 and the King's stay in Edinburgh, where he had entertained lavishly, there was a disaster at Burntisland at the start of his journey home. The King witnessed the small ship carrying all his belongings and plate sank, with the total loss of the cargo and 35 lives (of the 37 on board). The King fi nally left on Friday 12th July arriving at Greenwich on Saturday 20th July. He would have been in no mood to hand out gold medals on his return to London. The British Museum have a struck specimen in gold, presented to them by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, however there is no gold specimen in the Royal Collection. In commerce, an example in gold is found in the Montagu Collection, 24 May 1897 (lot 121), sold £8-15-0 to H[enry] Osborne O'Hagan (1853-1930). When re-sold in the O'Hagan sale, 27 April 1908 (lot 849 - on the 5th day), it sold for £3-15-0, less than half his purchase price. A second gold specimen was in the Murdoch Collection, 2 June 1904 (lot 57), which sold for £15 to Ready. Neither of these medals are illustrated in the respective catalogues.
Estimate: 27500 - 32500 GBP