Nomos 13

Great Britain. Plaquettepenning (Silver, 66mm, 58.53 g 12), in memory of two of the children of Charles I, Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester (1640-1660) and Mary Henrietta, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (1631-1660), Amsterdam, by P. van Abeele, c. 1660. HINDRYHKVS.HARTOG.VAN.GLOCESTER Draped bust of Henry, three-quarters facing to left, with long hair and a lace collar; the fields decorated with roses and thistles. Rev. MARIA.D.G.PRINCEPS M.BRIT.AVRANT.DOTARIA.ETC (=Mary, by God’s Grace Princess of England, dowager of Orange, etc.) Draped bust of Princess Mary to left, her hair elaborately coifed and bound with pearls, wearing a pearl necklace and a drop earring; the fields decorated with roses and thistles; to right, traces of an apparently erased signature, ABEELE.F. Frederiks 2/2d and 17/17a. MI, Appendix 1, pl. CLXXXII, 10. Extremely rare. A superb toned example of great beauty. Usual blow-hole on the edge. Very minor edge bang on the reverse, otherwise, good extremely fine.

From the Stack Collection, Morton & Eden, 9 December 2009, 319, and from the collection of J. R. Gaines, Morton & Eden, 21 April 2005, 41, ex Morton & Eden, 21 May 2003, 1192 and Christie’s, 17 February 1987, 192, and from the collection of the Earl of Caladon, Christie’s, 4 April 1967, 142.

This is the only medallic portrait of Henry Stuart, and was made by Abeele after either the painting by Simon Luttichwys, or the engraving that was made from it by Cornelius van Dalen II. Henry was apparently a very likeable, even admirable young man, who, had he not died from smallpox in 1660, would have made a perfect Protestant alternative to his much disliked, and increasingly Catholic, brother James (II).