New British Coronation Medals: William IV & Queen Adelaide AR 1830, Victoria AE 1838, & Anne AR 1702

[DonnaML]

I already had an example of this medal in bronze, but had been looking for one in silver for a while.

Great Britain, William IV, Official AR Coronation Medal, 1830, by William Wyon.* Obv. Bare head of King William IV right; WILLIAM THE FOURTH CROWNED SEP: 8 1831.; under head, W. WYON, S. / Rev. Head of Queen Adelaide right, wearing diadem embroidered with a Tudor rose, thistle, and shamrock, her hair coiled in bun high on back of her head, with a string of pearls wound through it, one lock curling down towards nape of her neck and another curling over the top of her head; ADELAIDE. QUEEN CONSORT. CROWNED SEP: 8 1831.; under head, W. WYON, S. 33 mm., 18.25 g. BHM I 1475 (ill. p. 358) [Brown, Laurence, British Historical Medals Vol. I, 1760-1837 (Seaby 1980)]; Eimer 1251 (ill. Pl. 137) [Eimer, C., British Commemorative Medals and their Values (2^nd ed. 2010)]; Wollaston p. 12, no. xvi & ill. no. 25 [Henry Wollaston, British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees (1978)]; Till pp. 75-76 [William Till, Descriptive Particulars of English Coronation Medals (London 1837)]**. Mintage in AR: 1,900 (see BHM p. 358). Purchased from Noonans Mayfair Ltd., London, UK, Auction No. 282, Historical Medals, 17 Oct. 2023, Lot 28 (“The Property of a Gentleman”), ex Spink Numismatic Circular Vol. 107 No. 4, May 1999, Lot 2226 p. 129.***

*Wyon was paid a fee of only £105 as compared with the £500 paid to Benedetto Pistrucci for the George IV official coronation medal (see Wollaston p. 79), and “the Privy Council grudged even this”: “The enormous cost of George IV’s coronation had staggered everybody and led to public complaint. William IV at first was reluctant to have a coronation service at all. On being convinced that a coronation was necessary, he insisted that the cost should be one-tenth of that of George IV. One medal, instead of two for the Queen and himself, and a simplified design instead of an elaborate work of art, were means to that end.” Id.

**The opinion of a contemporary critic in 1837: Till opined that William the Fourth and Queen Adelaide “had only one coronation medal for both; but Wyon certainly made the most of the subject, and produced a faultless medal, so far as regards execution and fidelity of likeness, and in the extraordinary short space of fifteen days (this eminent and talented artist, suffering at the same time from indisposition), exciting a doubt [as to] which is the most worthy of our admiration, the beauty of the medal, or the promptness of its production. The head of the King is pourtrayed [sic] true to nature; no wig, no laurel, or poetically fictionalized ornament; while on the head of the Queen is a splendid tiara, with the rose, thistle, and shamrock, very judiciously introduced. The legend on the obverse, in plain English, records WILLIAM THE FOURTH, CROWNED SEPT. 8^TH, 1831 – while the legend on the reverse mentions the same ceremony taking place with the Queen. Time, it appears, was not allowed for two medals, a circumstance to be regretted, as a reverse to each might have been with much propriety found; one illustrative of the king’s services and attachment to the navy; and on the other, his royal consort’s acknowledged virtues.”

***Although the Noonans auction description did not mention any previous pedigree, a handwritten coin ticket that came with the medal, inside an envelope within the Noonans plastic packaging, includes a notation at the bottom stating "SNC 107/4, 2226." I interpreted this notation to mean "Spink Numismatic Circular, Vol. 107 No. 4, lot 2226," and to indicate that the specific specimen I purchased was previously offered and sold as that lot number in that issue.  Although the old Spink Numismatic Circulars are not available online so far as I know (except for some “snippet” views in Google Books), it happens by pure coincidence that I subscribed to the publication for a few years beginning in the late 1990s, and still have that particular issue, namely Vol. 107 No. 4, dated May 1999. Lot 2226, described at p. 129 of the issue, was indeed an example of the William IV 1831 official AR coronation medal. See these copies of the cover of the issue and p. 129, with Lot 2226 marked with a red dot. Although Lot 2226 was not illustrated, this would certainly appear to confirm my interpretation that the notation on the ticket accompanying the medal I purchased from Noonans refers to the medal's pedigree. I have emailed Noonans to ask if they have any further documentation regarding the pedigree.

Finally, a table placing this new medal together with my other small British coronation & jubilee medals, etc., in silver and bronze. (Where "small" is specified, a large version was also struck.)

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by DonnaML

[expat]

The engraver may have been paid a reduced payment for his work, but he did a first rate job on the medal. The portraits are beautifully executed, lifelike and detailed. Great pick up.

[DonnaML]

And here is part 2 of the table above, virtually displaying my larger-sized British coronation and jubilee medals. (All are between 50 and 56 mm. in diameter except the first one, the unofficial Pistrucci coronation medal for Victoria, which is 87 mm.)

[Dafydd]

4 hours ago, DonnaML said:

I already had an example of this medal in bronze, but had been looking for one in silver for a while.

Great Britain, William IV, Official AR Coronation Medal, 1830, by William Wyon.* Obv. Bare head of King William IV right; WILLIAM THE FOURTH CROWNED SEP: 8 1831.; under head, W. WYON, S. / Rev. Head of Queen Adelaide right, wearing diadem embroidered with a Tudor rose, thistle, and shamrock, her hair coiled in bun high on back of her head, with a string of pearls wound through it, one lock curling down towards nape of her neck and another curling over the top of her head; ADELAIDE. QUEEN CONSORT. CROWNED SEP: 8 1831.; under head, W. WYON, S. 33 mm., 18.25 g. BHM I 1475 (ill. p. 358) [Brown, Laurence, British Historical Medals Vol. I, 1760-1837 (Seaby 1980)]; Eimer 1251 (ill. Pl. 137) [Eimer, C., British Commemorative Medals and their Values (2^nd ed. 2010)]; Wollaston p. 12, no. xvi & ill. no. 25 [Henry Wollaston, British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees (1978)]; Till pp. 75-76 [William Till, Descriptive Particulars of English Coronation Medals (London 1837)]**. Mintage in AR: 1,900 (see BHM p. 358). Purchased from Noonans Mayfair Ltd., London, UK, Auction No. 282, Historical Medals, 17 Oct. 2023, Lot 28 (“The Property of a Gentleman”), ex Spink Numismatic Circular Vol. 107 No. 4, May 1999, Lot 2226 p. 129.***

*Wyon was paid a fee of only £105 as compared with the £500 paid to Benedetto Pistrucci for the George IV official coronation medal (see Wollaston p. 79), and “the Privy Council grudged even this”: “The enormous cost of George IV’s coronation had staggered everybody and led to public complaint. William IV at first was reluctant to have a coronation service at all. On being convinced that a coronation was necessary, he insisted that the cost should be one-tenth of that of George IV. One medal, instead of two for the Queen and himself, and a simplified design instead of an elaborate work of art, were means to that end.” Id.

**The opinion of a contemporary critic in 1837: Till opined that William the Fourth and Queen Adelaide “had only one coronation medal for both; but Wyon certainly made the most of the subject, and produced a faultless medal, so far as regards execution and fidelity of likeness, and in the extraordinary short space of fifteen days (this eminent and talented artist, suffering at the same time from indisposition), exciting a doubt [as to] which is the most worthy of our admiration, the beauty of the medal, or the promptness of its production. The head of the King is pourtrayed [sic] true to nature; no wig, no laurel, or poetically fictionalized ornament; while on the head of the Queen is a splendid tiara, with the rose, thistle, and shamrock, very judiciously introduced. The legend on the obverse, in plain English, records WILLIAM THE FOURTH, CROWNED SEPT. 8^TH, 1831 – while the legend on the reverse mentions the same ceremony taking place with the Queen. Time, it appears, was not allowed for two medals, a circumstance to be regretted, as a reverse to each might have been with much propriety found; one illustrative of the king’s services and attachment to the navy; and on the other, his royal consort’s acknowledged virtues.”

***Although the Noonans auction description did not mention any previous pedigree, a handwritten coin ticket that came with the medal, inside an envelope within the Noonans plastic packaging, includes a notation at the bottom stating "SNC 107/4, 2226." I interpreted this notation to mean "Spink Numismatic Circular, Vol. 107 No. 4, lot 2226," and to indicate that the specific specimen I purchased was previously offered and sold as that lot number in that issue.  Although the old Spink Numismatic Circulars are not available online so far as I know (except for some “snippet” views in Google Books), it happens by pure coincidence that I subscribed to the publication for a few years beginning in the late 1990s, and still have that particular issue, namely Vol. 107 No. 4, dated May 1999. Lot 2226, described at p. 129 of the issue, was indeed an example of the William IV 1831 official AR coronation medal. See these copies of the cover of the issue and p. 129, with Lot 2226 marked with a red dot. Although Lot 2226 was not illustrated, this would certainly appear to confirm my interpretation that the notation on the ticket accompanying the medal I purchased from Noonans refers to the medal's pedigree. I have emailed Noonans to ask if they have any further documentation regarding the pedigree.

Finally, a table placing this new medal together with my other small British coronation & jubilee medals, etc., in silver and bronze. (Where "small" is specified, a large version was also struck.)

 

I have long admired Wyon’s engraving of William IV’s hair. You have a lovely example @DonnaML complimented with your usual excellent post.

A good grading point too. Similarly the line across George III and IV coinage’s laurel leaves instantly allows grade indication. 
You have an outstanding collection.

[Edessa]

This is the common Art Medal that Wyon provided for the Science and Art Department. Such beautiful, detailed engraving.

[Furryfrog02]

@DonnaML I absolutely LOVE your coronation medal collection. Congratulations on the newest addition. 

[DonnaML]

6 hours ago, Edessa said:

This is the common Art Medal that Wyon provided for the Science and Art Department. Such beautiful, detailed engraving.

I love the Wyon portrait of Queen Victoria. Famously, it was the basis for the portrait used in 1840 on the "Penny Black," the first postage stamp. So even though Wyon lost out to Pistrucci on the commission for the official Victoria coronation medal, he "won" in the end in terms of the lasting fame of his portrait. Which, I believe, was first used in 1837 on this medal in the City of London Series:

Great Britain, 1837, AE Commemorative Medal for the Corporation of the City of London (No. 5), Queen Victoria’s Visit to the City of London, by William Wyon. Obv. Diademed head of Queen Victoria left, VICTORIA REGINA, Wyon's name engraved at truncation / Façade of the Guildhall with Royal Standard flying above; in exergue, IN HONOUR OF HER MAJESTY’S VISIT/TO THE CORPORATION OF LOND/9^TH NOV: 1837. 54 mm. Eimer 1304 & Pl. 14; BHM Vol. II 1775 (ill. p. 7); Welch 5 & Pl. II (see pp. 43-46) [Welch, Charles, Numismata Londinensia, Medals Struck by the Corporation of London to Commemorate Important Municipal Events, 1831 to 1893 (London 1894); Whittlestone & Ewing I 72A (ill. p. 16)].* Purchased from Sothebys, London, UK, 21 Dec. 1999.**

*See BHM Vol. II p. 7: This medal is number [five] of the series published by the Corporation of the City of London to commemorate important events in the life of the City and was authorized by the Royal Entertainments Committee, the body responsible for the organization of the Queen’s entertainment. . . . An undated bill from William Wyon, now in the archives of the Corporation of London, refers to ‘one gold, 34 mounted, 195 plain silver, 530 bronze, 10 ornamental cases (Royal Family) and 397 plain cases’. . . . The whereabouts of the gold specimen referred to by Wyon is not now known, possibly it has not survived and it would appear from the mint records . . . that at least 1625 examples in either silver or copper were struck. . . . Wyon’s portrait of the Queen was used on various other medals and was also the basis for Sir Henry Corbould’s design for the penny black postage stamp” – i.e., the first postage stamp.

See also the discussion of Wyon’s portrait for this medal, as compared to Pistrucci’s portrait for the official coronation medal, at Wollaston pp. 80-81 [[H. Wollaston, British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees (1978)]: “In 1837 when Victoria succeeded William IV, William Wyon was the Chief Engraver of the Mint and Pistrucci the Chief Medallist of the Mint. Both claimed the privilege of designing the coronation medal as they did in 1830 [for William IV, when Wyon was chosen].  Pistrucci was selected. Perhaps as compensation Wyon did a portrait of the young Queen for use on coins [and this medal]. . . . [Pistrucci’s] finished product was generally criticized. Wyon’s design of the young head, on the other hand, was highly praised. Some did so on artistic grounds. Others used the opportunity to decry the work of a foreign medallist, Pistrucci, and to eulogize the work of an English medallist, Wyon. Critics of Pistrucci's medal carried their vendetta into politics. Questions were asked in the House of Commons [requiring a response from the Master of the Mint that didn't attempt to defend Pistrucci other than by offering] an apology excusing him on the grounds of his eyesight . . . . Although Wyon lost to Pistrucci in the contest as to which of them should design the coronation medal, he was the ultimate victor in perpetuating the young Queen’s portrait. His head was chosen for the first postage stamp issued in 1840. His head was also chosen to be put on one side of the official medal for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. On the other side was the head of the old Queen by T. Brock.”   

**For a brief period beginning in the late 1990s, Sothebys conducted numismatic auctions through sothebys.amazon.com.

The portrait appears again on the reverse of this 2001 silver proof crown (with a nominal value of 5 GBP) issued for the 100th anniversary of Victoria's death:

And thanks again for the compliments for my coronation/jubilee medal collection. I've been collecting these and other (mostly British) historical and commemorative medals on and off for about 40 years now -- compared to only six years of actively collecting ancient coins! I was already a modest collector of British coins since childhood; I believe the very first medal I bought was the George II official coronation medal, which I purchased in the early 1980s at one of the NYINCs held at the World Trade Center. Although I sold many of my historical medals about 10 years ago, I have since partially rebuilt the collection.

Edited November 1, 2023 by DonnaML

[panzerman]

Very beautifull! Thanks for sharing....

 

John

[Di Nomos]

The reverse portrait of Queen Adelaide is stunning. Very beautiful. 

I hadn't given much thought to coronation medals before, but that is a great area of collecting. Particularly like the early one's of Charles I & II.

Well done on a great addition and collection.

[DonnaML]

4 hours ago, Di Nomos said:

The reverse portrait of Queen Adelaide is stunning. Very beautiful. 

I hadn't given much thought to coronation medals before, but that is a great area of collecting. Particularly like the early one's of Charles I & II.

Well done on a great addition and collection.

Thank you, @Di Nomos. I do like my Charles I and Charles II medals; each is the more common of the two coronation medals issued for those kings (English and Scottish), and each was a replacement for examples I previously owned but sold in 2014/15.

England & Scotland, Charles I, Official AR Scottish Coronation Medal, 1633, by Nicholas Briot. Obv. Crowned bust left, in falling lace collar, ermine, robes, and collars of the Garter and the Thistle, CAROLVS• D:G• SCOTIAE• ANGLIAE• FR• ET• HIB• REX• [both “AEs” ligate] / Rev. Thistle flower growing out of stem with stylized trellised thistle leaves spreadeagled on either side, and three closed buds among the leaves*; around, legend • HINC • NOSTRAE • CREVERE • ROSAE • [both “AEs” ligate] [translation: “Hence have our roses grown,” a reference to the King’s Scottish birth and parentage, i.e., the English roses of the Royal family growing from the Scottish thistle]; in exergue in two lines, CORON•18•IVNII• | •1633• B• [Coronation 18 June 1633, “B” = Nicholas Briot]. 28 mm., 9.35 g. Eimer 123 & Pl. 12 [Eimer, C., British Commemorative Medals and their Values (2^nd ed. 2010)]; MI i pp. 265-266/60 & Pl. xxii, no. 2 [Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. I pp. 265-266, No. 60 (1885, reprinted 1969; Plate volume 1911, reprinted 1979)]; Wollaston p. 6, no. iii & ill. 3; see also p. 66 regarding the reverse design [Henry Wollaston, British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees (1978)]. Purchased from Simon Monks, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK, April 2023.** [Footnotes omitted.]

England, Charles II, Official AR English Coronation Medal, 1661, by Thomas Simon. Obv. Crowned and draped bust right, CAROLVS. II. D.G. ANG. SCO. FR. ET. HI. REX. / Rev. The King enthroned, left, holding scepter with right hand, crowned by Peace, flying right above, EVERSO. MISSVS. SVCCVRRERE. SECLO. XXIII. APR. 1661. 29 mm., 7.76 g. Eimer 221 & Pl. 26 [Eimer, C., British Commemorative Medals and their Values (2nd ed. 2010)]; MI i p. 472/76 & Pl. xlv, no. 725 [Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. I p. 472, No. 76 (1885, reprinted 1969; Plate volume 1911, reprinted 1979)]; Wollaston p. 6, no. v & ill. 5 [Henry Wollaston, British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees (1978)]. Purchased from Historical Medallions, UK, Jan. 2022.

.

Nobody should collect the official Royal Mint British coronation or jubilee medals as an investment (other than the ones struck in gold, perhaps), but I've thought for a long time that they're underpriced compared to British coins of the same monarchs, especially compared to, e.g., silver crowns. Particularly given the extremely low mintages of many of these medals. For example, the total number minted for each of the AR coronation medals of George II and George III was only 800:

And the total number minted for each of the AR coronation medals for their Queens, Caroline and Charlotte, was only 400, half that number:

Not that I need more competitors for these medals, because there are still a couple I don't have and want to buy, but one would think that there would be more than 400 -- and even more than 800 -- avid collectors of British royal "memorabilia," certainly enough of them to bid up the prices far higher than where they are now. Which (gold coronation medals aside) isn't astonishingly higher than where they were 30 years ago, especially compared to the increased prices for scarcer British coins in general.

Here's a useful table of mintages from one of Christopher Eimer's books:

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by DonnaML

[DonnaML]

A new coronation medal arrived the other day: the Queen Victoria official coronation medal by Pistrucci, in bronze. I already had the AR version (see the virtual tray above), purchased back in 2000, but it really isn't in great condition, especially the obverse, and it would cost more than I'm willing to spend to upgrade it. It was much less expensive to buy a very nice AE example.

Great Britain, Victoria, Official AE Coronation Medal, 1838, by Benedetto Pistrucci. Obv. Bust left, wearing plain diadem, with hair tied straight back, VICTORIA D.G. BRITANNIARUM REGINA F.D., initials B.P. under head / Rev. Queen seated on dais facing left, holding sceptre in left hand and orb in right hand, with lion behind her holding thunder of Jove in right paw; standing to left, Britannia, Hibernia, and Scotia, all helmeted,  offer the imperial crown to Queen; ERIMUS TIBI NOBILE REGNUM [You will have a celebrated reign]; in exergue, INAUGURATA DIE JUNII XXVIII MDCCCXXXVIII. 36 mm., 24.23 g. Mintage in AE: 1,871. BHM 1801 [Brown, Laurence, British Historical Medals Vol. II, 1837-1901 (Seaby 1987)]; Eimer 1315 & Pl. 144 [Eimer, C., British Commemorative Medals and their Values (2^nd ed. 2010)]; Wollaston p. 13, no. xvii & ill. 26 [Henry Wollaston, British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees (1978)]; Whittlestone & Ewing 88.1 (ill. p. 18) [Whittlestone, Andrew & Michael Ewing, Royal Commemorative Medals 1837-1977, Vol. 1, Queen Victoria 1837-1901 (2008)]. Purchased from Stephen Oatway, Britannia Numismatics, Halifax, Novia Scotia, Canada, Nov. 5, 2023.

The one part of the design I'm not crazy about is that lion behind Victoria's throne. What is he doing there, exactly, with that odd expression on his face?

Edited November 11, 2023 by DonnaML

[Di Nomos]

3 hours ago, DonnaML said:

 

The one part of the design I'm not crazy about is that lion behind Victoria's throne. What is he doing there, exactly, with that odd expression on his face?

 

I didn't even notice the lion on the silver issue, had to go back and have another look.

I really like the lion sneaking out from behind the dais actually (even if it doesn't make much sense). The overall design is really interesting. And the bronze really makes the details stand out. I love it.

[DonnaML]

And here's one more newly-acquired official coronation medal, the 1702 Queen Anne coronation medal in silver.  It's my third new purchase in the last month, but probably my last for some time, given that the only ones I don't have in silver or bronze are not only scarce but very expensive.

I already had an example of the Queen Anne coronation medal in bronze (see below), but for whatever reason the design seems to show up a bit better in silver. It's an unusual medal for several different reasons, in addition to being in better condition than the scratch-filled examples one commonly sees:  (1) A scholar named Joseph Hone doing research in the UK National Archives discovered in 2015 that the designer of the medal was none other than Isaac Newton, then Master of the Mint; (2) It has a good old-fashioned mythical creature on the reverse, one that could have appeared on a Greek or Roman coin or in a 1950s monster movie; (3) With the probable exception of the William & Mary coronation medal by John Roettier -- which has been interpreted as portraying William III as a thundering Jupiter, hurling James II as Phaethon from his chariot (see Wollaston p. 70 [full citation below] and Till p. 40 [William Till, Descriptive Particulars of English Coronation Medals (London 1837)]), although some have argued to the contrary that Roettier was actually a supporter of James II and intended the reverse as a warning to William III (Wollaston p. 70) -- this was the only other time that an official coronation medal portrayed the new monarch, on either the obverse or the reverse, as a mythical figure rather than as herself or himself; and (4) Again with the probable exception of the William & Mary medal, this was also the only time that the reverse design of an official coronation medal depicted a direct political allegory of current events -- the equivalent of a political cartoon.

England, Anne, Official AR Coronation Medal, 1702, by John Croker (from design by Isaac Newton). Obv. Bust of Queen Anne left, draped, crowned with fillet, hair bound with ribbon, ANNA D:G: MAG BR: FR: ET. HIB: REGINA. / Rev. Anne as Pallas Athena, standing right on hill with rays of sun shining upon her, holds bundle of three thunderbolts upraised in her right hand, and, in her left hand, a shield with aegis of Medusa’s head; at her feet to the right, symbolizing her enemies Louis XIV of France and the Jacobite “Old Pretender” James “III,” a Hydra in the form of a two-headed, four-armed serpentine monster (two arms wielding clubs and the other two wielding large stones), fallen to its back, with its lower body covered in scales and eight snakes rising from it in place of legs, one head facing Pallas and the other turned to the side; VICEM GERIT. ILLA. TONANTIS. around [“She is the Thunderer’s viceregent”]; in exergue, INAVGVRAT XXIII AP MDCCII [“Crowned 23 April 1702”]. 35mm., 15.67g. Eimer 390 & Pl. 48 [Eimer, C., British Commemorative Medals and their Values (2^nd ed. 2010)]; MI ii, p. 228/4 & Pl. cxv, no. 4 [Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. II  p. 228, No. 4 (1885, reprinted 1969; Plate volume 1911, reprinted 1979)]; Wollaston p. 8, no. x & ill. 10; see also pp. 70-72 [Henry Wollaston, British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees (1978)]; Mitchiner 4966 (ill. p. 1707) [Michael Mitchiner, Jetons, Medalets and Tokens, Vol. 3, British Isles circa 1558 to 1830 (1998)]. (Mintage: Gold 858, Silver 1,200, Bronze number unknown. See Wollaston p. 16.) Purchased from Noonans Mayfair Auction 283, 15 Nov. 2023, Lot 1251.*

My AE version:

*See https://stuarts.exeter.ac.uk/isaac-newton-and-queen-annes-coronation-medal/: “The reverse depicts Anne as Pallas Athene, striking down a double-headed monster. Recent scholarly consensus has been that the monster is a Hydra representing domestic faction. But [the Master of the Mint, Isaac] Newton, in his own notes on the design, describes it as a symbol of ‘any Enemy with which Her Majesty hath or may have War’. In other words, the monster presents the double threat posed by Louis XIV and James Francis Edward Stuart, the Old Pretender. The motto looks back to William and Mary. By describing Anne as a ‘Thunderer’, Newton explains that he was alluding to the coronation medal of 1689, which likewise portrayed William as a thundering Jupiter. In a sentence, Newton explains that the coronation medal ‘signifies that her Majesty continues the scene of the last reign’.” See also the discussion at https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/35474, as well as these notes to Spink’s auction description of a specimen of the Queen Anne official coronation medal sold on 31 May 2023 (available at https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=11019352 ) :

“Croker's official coronation medal had until very recently been thought the conception of Royal court painter Sir Geoffrey Kneller. However in 2015, a manuscript was reviewed at the National Archives which contained sketches and notes by Sir Isaac Newton, then Master of Her Majesty's Mint. This would confirm that in fact it was he who was responsible for the iconography. This discovery illuminated the reasoning behind the unusual iconography. Newton explained that the scaly, two-headed Hydra was an allegory of the ‘double Catholic threat’ Anne faced at the time of her coronation - King Louis XIV of France, and James Francis Edward Stuart, son of James II, who was a rival claimant to the throne.

It would be the first time that a monarch had been portrayed as a mythical figure on a Coronation medal. [But see references above to the possible depiction of William III as Jupiter hurling James II as Phaethon from his chariot, on the reverse of the William & Mary coronation medal.] The use of allegorical personification is intriguing and begs the ultimate question, why did Anne not feel as though she could be portrayed as herself? Why had she accepted the attributes of the Greek goddess Pallas? Newton explains that even though the new Queen had physical infirmities, such that she was too weak even to walk to her own Coronation much less hurl a thunderbolt, she was strong willed, had a robust foreign policy and expected to defend her kingdom. Having Pallas on her medal, immediately communicated a message of courage and boldness. Newton also explained that by describing Anne as a 'Thunderer', he hoped to hark back to the previous Coronation medal of William and Mary, where a thundering Jupiter featured, demonstrating her continuity of the Protestant rule. No fewer than 1,200 of these silver medals were distributed at the Abbey.

Anne's infirmity at her Coronation was the result of her struggle with gout (induced by a predilection to brandy). As a result, she was carried in the procession upon an open sedan chair by the Yeomans of the Guard. She had a respect for splendour, a taste for ceremony and a strong will to rule. Her vigour and determination were shown when, on arriving at the Abbey, she descended and walked down the aisle to the altar, despite the pain she must have suffered. She wished to convey her relevance to her subjects and to imbue a strong sense of propriety. This act has also led some to compare her to Elizabeth I, not only as they align in terms of their staunch Englishness and Anglican faith, but also in their ability to rise to the occasion despite debilitating physical infirmities. Clearly her presence made an impact as Anne's coronation ceremony was described by one commentator as ‘more magnificent than any in England’, with another detailing how she gave ‘obliging looks and bows to all’ and how the diamonds in her hair ‘at the least motion brill'd and flamed’.”

For an article on this subject by the discoverer of Newton’s notes on the Anne coronation medal, see Joseph Hone, “Isaac Newton and the Medals for Queen Anne,” Huntington Library Quarterly, University of Pennsylvania Press, Volume 79, Number 1, Spring 2016, pp. 119-148 (available at https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/article/612988/pdf ) (I do not have access to this article and have not consulted it).

Here is the current version of my "virtual tray" of small coronation, jubilee & investiture medals, with the Victoria AE medal and the Anne AR medal:

Edited November 27, 2023 by DonnaML

[lordmarcovan]

Stunning array of medals, Donna!

[lordmarcovan]

PS- I like that Anne!