- Museum number
- G3,FD.142
- Description
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Silver medal. (whole)
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Elizabeth, seated facing, on her throne, tramples on a hydra: Earl of Leicester, with his foot on its tail, seizes her robe imploringly; five naked boys, kneeling and bearing the shields of Guelderland, Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, and Friesland, indicate the Provinces for which he intercedes. Rose. (obverse)
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Pope, bishops and other ecclesiastics, with chalice, wafers, &c, falling from heaven, where appears the name of Jehovah in Hebrew. (reverse)
- Production date
- 1587
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 52.000 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Medallic Illustrations 1, published in 1885, states:
Rare.
Hawkins states (1885): "Van Loon supposes this medal to have been struck by some over-zealous reformers and partisans of Leicester, who offered the government to Elizabeth; and throws a mystery over the termination of the legend as implying more than the suppliants dare express. Now in size, style, taste and workmanship, as well as mint mark, it corresponds with other medals struck at this period by order of the States; it can then scarcely be considered as the production of a party cabal, but a fair expression of the sentiments of the Provinces. They successfully claimed the aid of Elizabeth and were thankful; and, considering Leicester the champion of their cause, they introduce him in that character upon the medal. The legend terminates abruptly for want of space, and because the meaning was sufficiently intelligible. The reverse symbolizes the defeat of the Papal party in the Provinces."
See Pinkerton, J., 'The Medallic History of England to the Revolution', London, 1790 (fol.), viii. 8; Van Loon, Gerard, ‘Histoire Métallique des XVII. Provinces des Pays-Bas’, 5 vol. La Haye, 1732-1837 (fol) [There is also an edition in Dutch, but with different paging], I. 369; Pemb. Cat. P. 4. T. 38; Bizot, Pierre, ‘Histoire Métallique de la République de Hollande’, Paris, 1687 (new ed., 2 vol. Amsterdam, 1688, and Supl., 1690), p. 57.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated events
- Commemoration of: Defeat of the Papal party in the Netherlands, with help of England
- Acquisition date
- 1825
- Department
- Money and Medals
- Registration number
- G3,FD.142
- C&M catalogue number
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MB1 (Medallic Illustrations 1) (139) (99)