Rev. Inscriptions in Hebrew and Greek of the same import
as the legend on the obverse, viz.:
wrvaTTi m i n i m rum ^n -j£,a 3
¡¡¡¡¡i rro n n n n a
ENPIKOS O OrAOOS TPI2 BA2IAEY2 . III2TEQ2 IIP02TATH2 . EN
TH EKKAH2IA TH2 A rrA IA 2 KAI IBEPNIA2 . Y n o XPI2TQ . AKPH
H KE4>AAH.
Above, h . b : below, LoncLini. 1545. After the inscriptions,
roses and trefoils.
2-15. Med. Hist. iv. 1. Perry, i. 6. Yan Mieris, II. 882.
Vet. Mon. I. PI. lxii. Evelyn, 88.
MB. Ar. At. Hnnter, N . Very rare.
Imitations cast and chased occur, but are of no value.
After a severe struggle the clergy recognized Henry as their
sole Protector, the only and supreme lord of the church and
clergy of England, and, as far as allowable by the law of Christ,
even its supreme head. This occurred in 1581, but the titles
were not fully confirmed by Parliament before 1534, and were
not formally proclaimed till 15 January, 1535. This medal was
no doubt struck in commemoration of this acknowledgment of
his supremacy.
45. H enby V m . Medallio P oetbait.
Bust of Henry YIII., nearly full face, flat hat, trimmed with
feathers and decorated with jewels under the brim, medal suspended
by riband from his neck; he also wears the rich collar
of rubies which, Evelyn says, was afterwards sold by the family
of Charles I. to supply them with the necessaries of life during
their exile : the whole within laurel border.
No reverse.
4 4 ; 3‘95 ; 4-1 by 3‘45. Yan Mieris, II. 155. Perry, Supp.
i. 3.M
B. M. M. gilt, lead (oval). Bodley, M. Rare.
These medals are always cast, and were probably executed
after a painting by Holbein. There are two specimens of the
second size in the British Museum, which are certainly contemporary
castings; as well as that in lead, which is oval and
without a border. These and the following medals do not
appear to have been issued for any special event, but merely as
portraits; such medals of the Sovereigns of Europe of that
t,imp being not uncommon. The workmanship may be German.
46. H enby YIII. Medallio P oetbait.
Bust of Henry VIII., nearly full face, evidently modelled by
the same hand as the preceding, but differing in the hat, which
is not decorated with jewels. Leg. henbicvs . vih . d g . angl .
Bex. Border of dots.
No reverse.
3-9. Trésor, Méd. Allemandes, Pl. xi. 3. Perry, ii. 1.
Gent. Mag. 1778, p. 344. Heraeus, Pl. 22, fig. I.
MB. electrotype from Hague, Æ. Bibl. Paris, Æt. Duke of
Devonshire, Æ. gilt (without inscription). Vienna, Æ. Rare.
The specimens above indicated are all cast and seem to
be from the same model, the variations being chiefly in the
inscription, which is wanting in one of them. The Devonshire
specimen is erroneously described by Perry as gold : the inner
dress in this is quite plain. The specimen in the Bibliothèque
Nationale is on the reverse of a medal of Erasmus, dated 1519.
That at Vienna has on the reverse a rose with a crown over it,
and below the inscription evtilans . bosa . sine spina, which is
copied from the obverse of No. 13, p. 29.
47. H enby YIII. Medallio P oetbait.
Bust of Henry YIII., full face, crowned, robed, wearing a
collar composed of three portcullises, a fleur-de-lis, a cross and
two roses. Leg. henbic’ . 8. agli’ . e ex. m. m. Crown.
No reverse.
1-35. Med. Hist. iii. 6. Perry, i. 4.
Baptist College, Bristol, Æ. Very rare.
When Perry published his plates this piece was in the collection
of Dr. Andrew Gifford, who left it to the Baptist College
at Bristol, where it is now preserved. The collar is merely an
ornament, comprising the badges of the royal family, and not
belonging to any order of knighthood.