A Guide to the Exhibition of English MedalsBritish Museum. Department of Coins and Medals
History
A Guide to the Exhibition of English Medals
British Museum. Department of Coins and Medals
Medals -- Great Britain
The treaty of Nimeguen, negotiated by England between France and
Holland, was concluded Aug. 1678, but not proclaimed till 20th Oct.
following. Extremely coarse work.
233. Popish Plot, 1678. Details of murder of Sir Edmund Berry
Godfrey. _Obv._ Three divisions; in centre one, two monks
strangling Godfrey, above whom 1678, and two men carrying him
in sedan chair; above, their names GREENE. KELY. HILL. & BERY;
below, IVSTICE KILLERS TO HIS HO(liness); in lower division
Godfrey lying on his face, his sword passed through his body;
in upper division the Pope prompted by the Devil. ROMES REVENGE
OR S^{R}. EDMVNDBERY GODFREY MVRTHERED IN THE POPES SLAVGHTER
HOVS. Reverse plain. Pewter. Size 2·8. Cast and chased.
Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey, after being strangled near the watergate at
Somerset-house, was carried by his murderers in a sedan chair to Soho
Square, and from thence on horseback to Primrose Hill, where they left
him in a ditch with his own sword run through his body, in the position
of one who had committed suicide.
234. Another. _Obv._ Bust of Godfrey r., in doublet, &c., two
hands strangling him with his cravat. MORIENDO RESTITVIT REM
E. GODFREY. _Rev._ Green strangling Godfrey in the presence of
the Pope, who holds papal bull and blesses the murderer. TANTVM
RELLIGIO POTVIT; (Lucret. Lib. I. 102); on edge, CERVICE FRACTA
FIDEM SVSTVLIT ATLAS XNS. 1678. Silver. Size 1·5. Struck. By G.
Bower.
The inscr. on the edge compares Godfrey to Atlas, who required all his
strength to sustain the world, whilst Godfrey sustained the faith with
a broken neck.
235. Another. _Obv._ Same. _Rev._ Hill on horseback supporting
before him the dead body of Godfrey, and accompanied by another
murderer feigning drunkenness and carrying sword; in the
distance, Primrose Hill; stars shew that it is night. EQVO
CREDITE TVCRI (sic). (Virg. Aen. II. 48.) Edge as preceding.
Silver. Size 1·55. Struck. By G. Bower.
In conveying the body of Godfrey from Soho to Primrose Hill the
murderers agreed that, if stopped on the road, they should pretend that
they were taking home a drunken companion.
236. Another. _Obv._ Same. _Rev._ The Pope's head and the
Devil's joined in one face. ECCLESIA PERVERSA TENET FACIEM
DIABOLI. Edge as on No. 234. Silver-gilt. Size 1·45. Struck.
This reverse design was a very common one at the time of the
Reformation.
237. Another. _Obv._ Godfrey walking after his murder. GODFREY
WALKS VP HIL AFTER HEE IS DEAD. ERGO PARES (SVMVS on rev.);
in ex., PRO. (Protestant). _Rev._ St. Denis after martyrdom
carrying his head. DENNYS WALKS DOWNE HIL CARRYING HIS HEAD.
SVMVS (PARES, &c., on obv.) in ex., PA. (Papist). Silver. Size
1·5. Struck. By G. Bower.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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