North Yorkshire Moors Collection, Part IV: Coins and Medals

VII: Restrikes of the Lord General Medal, Cromwell, Lord General, 1650, a round uniface gold restrike (c. 1738) of the oval medal by T. Simon, armoured bust three-quarters right, oli cromwell milit parl dvx gen, witness line on edge, 31mm, 27.34g (Lessen, BNJ 1979, p.92, Gp B and pl. xvi, 4, this piece; MI I, 388/7; E 180a). Traces of die flaw in legend partly tooled out, a few rust spots on the die, otherwise extremely fine, very rare £2,000-£3,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The North Yorkshire Moors Collection of British Coins.

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Provenance: Sotheby Auction, 20 December 1938, lot 34; R.C. and O.M.W. Warner Collection; R.E. Ockenden Collection [from O.M.W.W. 1964]; bt R.E.O.



Other than a unique original massive lead impression from the raw, maybe unhardened die showing the integral loop, there are none but these restrikes made at the Mint c. 1738 and later, and by the Wyons in the 19th century. This is an unfinished production that was presumably cancelled when the reverse die cracked (but see H. Pagan in BNJ 1988, p.189, where it is cleverly suggested that the intended reverse might have been that of the so-called Ireton medal [MI I, 387/6], and the arguments make sense)