THOMAS SIMON'S EDGE LETTERING

The Reddite Crown

With regard to the brief description of edge lettering in the last issue of the E-Sylum, it might be worthwhile to mention two of the most famous examples of edge lettering: Thomas Simon, arguably the greatest English coin and medal engraver of the seventeenth century and Chief engraver of the Mint under both Cromwell and (briefly) at the Restoration, pioneered a technology for edge lettering, a significant contribution in the transition from hammered to milled coinage. One of these, the "Reddite Crown", so named for its edge lettering "Reddite quae Caesaris Caesari &ct" [Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's, etc], which includes in addition to the lettering an image, sold this March at Spink for an astonishing £396,000 (against an estimate of £100,000 -£120,000)!

The companion piece, perhaps even more highly regarded, the "Petition Crown", presented by Simon to the King as a protest against his displacement as Chief Engraver by John Roettier, an appointment thought to reflect more political connection than artistic virtuosity, contains the edge legend:"Thomas Simon, most humbly, prays your Majesty to compare this, his tryall piece, with the Dutch, and if more truly drawn & embossd, more grace[ful], fully ordered and more accurately engrave[d], to relieve him." This remarkably scarce type sold most recently in New York for $649,000!

Wikipedia has a good brief account of the pieces and the definitive discussion (because a book tie-in be required for the current context-lol!) is in Alan Nathanson, Thomas Simon His Life and Work.

And now, for a bit of absolutely shameless commercial huckstering: We have currently on offer the Sir Thomas Fairfax medal by Simon, together with the book which is likely the first such devoted to a single medallist: George Vertue, Medals, Coins, Great-Seals, Impressions, from the Elaborate Works of Thomas Simon, Chief Engraver of the Mint, to K. Charles the 1st, London 1753 (First edition, with engraved title and 37 plates, Morocco gilt binding)

To read the Wikipedia article, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petition_Crown

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
VOCABULARY TERM: EDGE LETTERING, PART 5 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n24a12.html)

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