NEW BOOK: BRITISH HISTORICAL MEDALS OF THE 17TH CENTURY

British Historical Medals of the 17th Century
Medallists, Books, Authors, Collectors, Booksellers & Antiquaries
by Jerome J. Platt & Arleen Kay Platt

British Historical Medals of the 17th Century is another important book from the authors of The English Civil Wars: Medals, Historical Commentary & Personalities, completing their journey through the world of 17th century British medals and the medallists, authors, collectors, medal dealers and booksellers associated with them up to the present day. In this perfect companion to their comprehensive two volume work, the Platts have focused on British medals and medallists of the period from 1600 to 1688, telling the stories of the medallists and the books, booksellers, printers, print-sellers, and antiquaries associated with 17th century medals, as well as of the major sales, collectors and authors of works on the subject.

This is the perfect reference book for the collector to have to hand, based on over 40 years of research on 17th century medallists, 17th to 19th century books on these medals and their authors, as well as on eminent collectors and the collections which have come to auction to the present day; antiquaries associated with works on medal collecting, illustrators of antiquarian works and early publishers of books on the subject are also included. The nearly 300 illustrations of authors, collectors, books and booksellers, medals and old auction catalogues complement the text in providing a closer look at such luminaries as Vertue, Evelyn, Snelling, Pinkerton, Henfrey, Hawkins, Franks, Grueber, Hilliard, Briot, the de Passes, the Warins, Blondeau, Rawlins, Thomas and Abraham Simon, the Roettiers, Dassier, Kirk, Hunter, Sara Sophia Banks, Trattle, Perry, Thane, Caulfield, James, ‘Athenian’ Stuart, and even the late 18th century forger known as ‘Stuart,’ to name just some of the more than 80 individuals covered in this volume. This fascinating book will be of value to anyone who wishes to learn about the history of medal collecting and the association between coin- and medal-collecting, and is a must for all collectors and students of British historical medals.

The authors after a meeting at Spink, at which they discussed publication of their previous two volumes on the medals of the English Civil Wars.

Jerome J. Platt is a retired medical school professor of psychiatry, research director and research dean who has been an active collector and researcher of British medals for over 40 years. Originally trained as a psychologist, Dr Platt became interested in the personalities of those personages depicted on medals of the English Civil War. This volume is the result of his study of the men and women who are associated with the history of historical and commemorative medal design, manufacture, sale, collecting and scholarship. Dr Platt is also the author or editor of over a dozen books on drug addiction, research and psychological issues.

Arleen Kay Platt is a retired registered nurse, hospital supervisor and research site manager who reports that she was initially drawn into the fascinating world of British medals while looking over her husband’s shoulder as he worked on his medal collection. She is a co-author of The Whitewash Brigade: The Hong Kong Plague of 1894 and The English Civil Wars: Medals, Historical Commentary & Personalities.

As attractive as historical or commemorative medals are in their own right and as telling as they are by their designs and inscriptions of the persons or events they honour (or, in some cases, vilify or deride), they tell us much more: by means of inscriptions, design and allegory, they tell us their age, of their makers, of the purpose for which they were made, the manner in which they were made, and the ‘story’ their maker wished to communicate.

This volume presents the published works on 17th century British medals that appeared in the late 17th century through to the 19th century as well as biographies of the authors. It also surveys those medallists who created the medals, the major collectors of the medals, the great collections that we know of through auction catalogues, the antiquaries and chroniclers who wrote on the period, or who were otherwise associated with these works, as well as early printers of numismatic works. It is intended as a companion volume to the authors’ two volume work, The English Civil Wars: Medals, Historical Commentary & Personalities.

Handsomely illustrated throughout with some 300 illustrations, this work is an essential addition to the libraries of collectors and students of both British and Continental Historical and Commemorative Medals.

Praise for The English Civil Wars: Medals, Historical Commentary & Personalities

“[This] book is a work of very great scholarship and dedication, having taken more than four decades from concept to fruition; but it is much more than this, it is the fruit of a burning, shared passion which is reflected in the depth of detail, the delight in quotations, the personal observations and the rich, extensive illustrations...”
—Paul Christensen, Ph.D., Spink Numismatic Circular

For more information, or to order, see:
https://www.spink.com/departments.aspx?id=1210

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