Stock No. 2686	Charles I silver medal, Dominion of the Sea
Charles I silver medal asserting England's dominion of the sea. Obverse: Bust of Charles I, right, head bare, hair long, lovelock on shoulder, in falling lace collar, armour, mantle and riband for medal. Legend: CAROLVS D : G . ANG . SCO . FRAN . ET . HIB . REX . FIDEI . DEFENSOR . m.m Rose. On truncation N.B. (Nicholas Briot). Reverse: Ship in full sail, left; on right, sea-shore with fort. Legend: NEC . META . MIHI . QVAE . TERMINVS . ORBI . (Nor is that a limit to me, which is a boundary to the world.) Maker :- Nicholas Briot

Condition :-Extremely fine. The slightly darker patches in the sky are the beginning of deeper toning
Circa :- 1630
Size :- 1.1 inch (27.9 mm) diameter
See "Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland", volume I, page 257, No. 43. A number of medals were struck at the same time, in considerable quantity, varying in size and in detail. They were issued in assertion of England's claim to the dominion of the sea. Charles I's instructions to Sir William Boswell, his Minister at the Hague, were: "We hold it a principle not to be denied that the King of Great Britain is a Monarch at sea and land to the full extent of his dominions. His Majesty finds it necessary for his own defence and safety to re-assume and keep his ancient and undoubted right in the dominion of these seas." Nicholas Briot was born in France and was one of the chief engravers at the Paris Mint during the reign of Louis XIII. He developed an improvement in the balance for striking coins and first submitted it to the Paris authorities in 1615. Briot came to England in 1625 and was appointed Chief Engraver to the Royal Mint in 1633. His dies for coins and medals have been called "gems of medallic art".

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