Prince Rupert, 1645, a silver-gilt medal or military reward, unsigned [by T. Rawlins (?)], half-length bust three-quarters left holding a baton, lace collar over armour, his long hair tied with a ribbon, and wearing a Royalist badge on a sash, rev. arms of the Prince on three shields, with lion supporters, crested helm and decorative scrolls above, between RP [Rupertus Princeps], 42 x 30mm, 19.93g (Platt II, pp.268-9, type B [B1, this item]; MI I, 323/159; MH 30). Gilding slightly worn, very fine or better, extremely rare and with a distinguished provenance £4,000-£5,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Dr Jerome J. Platt Collection of 17th-Century Medals.

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Collection

H. Montagu Collection, Sotheby Auction, 24-29 May 1897, lot 160; J.E. Hodgkin Collection, Sotheby Auction, 22-23 April 1914, lot 27; Brigadier-General G. Ll. Palmer Collection, Glendining Auction, 18-20 June 1919, lot 2; Lt-Col. Sir G. Dalrymple White Collection, Glendining Auction, 24-26 July 1946, lot 1; D. Fearon Collection, Spink Auction 8, 27 February 1980, lot 381; Baldwin Auction 28, 9 October 2001, lot 1917

Prince Rupert, Count Palatine of Rhine (1619-82), was Duke of Bavaria, later Duke of Cumberland and Earl of Holderness. He was the third son of King Frederick and Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia, grandson of James I, appointed General of the Horse in 1642, and gained for the Royalists the first victory of the war, at Worcester. He fought, often distinguishing himself, at Naseby, Marston Moor, and a number of other actions, and having occupied Bristol, surrendered the city to Fairfax in 1645. He left England following the Siege of Oxford, deprived of his commissions. His military and naval career flourished during the period of the Commonwealth and took him as far as Barbados in 1652. He returned to England after the Restoration, served in the Navy under the Duke of York, was Admiral of the White at Solebay. Finally, he was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty (1673-79). On the subject of the attribution, Sir George Hill (BM Guide, 1924), writes ‘the artist is not known with any certainty, but it is usually accepted as the work of Rawlins at his best.’