NNP

[Extracted from The Journal of Early American Numismatics, vol. 7, no. 1, June 2024.]

The article "New Findings on The Lord Baltimore Medals: Betts 34, 35, and 36" by Scott H. Miller explores the history, provenance, and characteristics of some of the rarest colonial American medals associated with Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore. The study focuses especially on the Portrait Medal (Betts 34) featuring Lord and Lady Baltimore, investigating the medals' origins, methods of production (cast and chased silver shells joined at the rim), and stylistic comparisons with seventeenth-century English portraiture. Miller challenges earlier assumptions about the medals' provenance, particularly the claims that they remained within the Calvert family lineage uninterrupted; instead, archival research reveals they were acquired at auction by the Eden family in 1802. The article carefully examines several known specimens (including those at The Hunterian, British Museum, National Gallery of Art, and Colonial Williamsburg) and traces their movements through historical sales and collections.

Miller also critiques past attributions of the medal’s maker, finding insufficient evidence to conclusively name artists like Claude Warin, Nicholas Briot, or Thomas Simon, and instead leaves authorship as "anonymous." He evaluates the probable production date (late 1630s to early 1640s) based on style and titles used, and discusses the medal’s purpose as personal commemorative pieces rather than official colonial awards. The article concludes by providing a detailed census of original Portrait medals and their electrotype copies, highlighting nuances in their appearances and known provenance. It is an exhaustive reevaluation of a long-misunderstood chapter in early American numismatic history.