Description
Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, ‘Oliver Cromwell’s Elevation to Lord Protector’ Medal, cast in silver (11.28g, 37mm), 1653. Obverse: Bare-headed bust of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell facing to the left, wearing decorated cuirass and high collar and with scarf looped over left shoulder, engraver’s name “THO: SIMON·F” (Thomas Simon) below bust, legend surrounds, “OLIVERVS· DEI· GRA: REI PVB: ANGLIÆ· SCO· ET· HIB· &· PROTECTOR·”. Reverse: Laureate Lion sejant, supporting the Shield of Arms of the Protectorate of England, legend surrounds, “· PAX · QVÆRITVR · BELIO ·”. Eimer-188. An historically interesting piece and most collectible as such, somewhat scarce and less often seen available for commerce, Very Fine.
The Obverse Latin legend reads “Olīverius, Deī Grātiā, reīpūblicae Angliae, Scotiae, Hiberniae et cētera prōtēctor”, with an English translation of “Oliver, by the Grace of God, Protector of the Commonwealth/Republic of England, Scotland, Ireland and so on”. The Reverse Latin legend reads “pāx quaeritur bellō”, with an English translation of “Peace is sought through fighting/war”.
Issued in commemoration of Oliver Cromwell’s elevation to Lord Protector on the 16th December 1653, the obverse dies were inspired by a minitature portrait by Cooper and engraved by Thomas Simon. Although in general are seen as cast and are relatively scarce in their own right, the original medals were struck and are very rare – the die of the reverse was, after a short use, broken across the middle, possibly accounting for the scarcity of struck examples.