Great Britain, The Martyrdom of Charles I, a uniface silver medal, unsigned [by J. Warin], carolvs . i . d . g . magn . brit . frace . et . hib . rex . ætatis . svæ ., bust right, head bare with lovelock falling over far shoulder, lace collar over ornate cuirass, sash and riband with badge, on truncation natus 1600, to the right, miniscule and inverted 1649, rev. the bust in incuse, without trace of legend, 42.23g, 70mm (Farquhar NC 1913 p. 246, this item described; Platt p.241, this item). A most attractive medal of curious manufacture with bust in high relief, the fields lightly chased and the legends tooled up, neatly pierced at 12 o’clock, good very fine, prettily toned, of superb style and presumed UNQIUE £4,000-£5,000

H. Montagu Collection, Sotheby Auction, 24-9 May 1897, lot 138; J.G. Murdoch Collection, 2 June 1904, lot 142; S. Stanley Collection; H. Farquhar Collection; Morton & Eden Auction 4, 21 May 2003, lot 1156

The medal presented here was produced in several, distinct, stages. No doubt, the magnificent bust came first; its workmanship being particularly fine and intricate. Next came the legend, of coarser style and incomplete. And, last of all, came the year of the king’s death, fitted in miniscule by the truncation. What began as a trial piece ended up as a memorial medal.