Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/42

22 the star within the garter, and the rays issuing from it fill up the spaces between the shields. The motto is,. A jetton something similar to this was struck upon the birth of the duke of York, afterwards king James II. There is also a small medal, or jetton, struck upon the baptism of prince Charles. It may here be very properly remarked, that as king Charles I. was extremely fond of having his own likeness given in a great variety of ways, both upon canvas and upon the precious metals, so was he also of having the effigies of his queen and children represented, not only by painters, but also by engravers. We have a small gold medal which gives the king and queen on one side, and their eldest children on the other; and there is a large silver medal representing the prince of Orange and the princess Royal, struck upon their nuptials.

As the medal of gold here exhibited struck to commemorate the nativity of prince Charles, who became a great monarch, is finely preserved, and is, I presume, an unique, it is extremely valuable, for it probably was one of the very few issued, and those that were, it may be justly supposed, presented only to some few select: personages, for king Charles I. was never a rich sovereign; his majesty had always more taste than wealth. His medals are generally of silver, and the few of his that are of gold are very small. This medal, which I have now described, I may therefore aver, is one of the most valuable, and every way estimable, in the English series.

Barming Parsonage, April 29, 1796.

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