Current Location: Gallery 32 (Rothschild)
Maker(s)
Die-engraver:
Briot, Nicholas
Mint:
London
Entities
Categories
Description
Lucy Harington, wife of the 3rd duke of Bedford, was one of the most interesting and vivacious women in court circles. She was a friend of James I’s queen, Anne of Denmark, and daughter, Elizabeth of Bohemia, and a patroness of John Donne, Ben Jonson and Indigo Jones, who designed a number of Masque costumes for her. A portrait at Woburn Abbey shows her in one of these, wearing a plume of heron feathers similar to that shown on the medal. The medal of Lucy Harington is only known from this piece, which may well have been the sole specimen produced for presentation to the sitter. It was unknown to Hawkins (Medallic Illustrations), and first surfaced in 1981 at a Christies sale (London, 17 February 1981, lot 358). The medal complements the Fitzwilliam Museum’s superb miniature by Oliver showing a half-length figure plausibly identified as Lucy Harington.
Nicholas Briot (c.1579-c.1646) was a celebrated French coin engraver, medallist and inventor of minting machinery. He held the post of engraver-general at the Paris mint (1606-25), but in Summer 1625 moved to Britain where he became the principal die engraver at the Royal Mint and master of the mint in Edinburgh (1635-9). During the Civil War he was attached to the king’s court. This silver medal, produced shortly after his arrival in England, is of an exquisite quality that only Briot was capable of at this period.
Notes
History note: Morton and Eden sale 4 (21 May 2003), lot 1133; ex Christies 17 Feb. 1981, lot 358.
Production date:
AD 1625
Components of the work
Object
composed of
silver
Height 53 mm
Width 42 mm
Inscription or legends present
Inscription present: bust left wearing coronet ruff and plume of heron feathers
- Text: LVCIA HARINGHTON COM BEDFOR
- Location: Obverse
- Type: Marginal inscription
Inscription present: serpent with tail coiled around its head
- Text: IVDICIO NON METV
- Location: Reverse
- Type: Marginal inscription
References and bibliographic entries
Identification numbers
Accession number: CM.2111-2003
Primary reference Number: 166736
Stable URI
Audit data
Created: Saturday 6 August 2011
Updated: Monday 18 August 2025
Last processed: Monday 18 August 2025
Associated departments & institutions
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Coins and Medals
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