General Monk

Medal depicts on the obverse General Monk, bust to right, hair long, curling, in plain falling collar, armour, and scarf across the breast. Rev.: GEORGIVS MONKE . OMNIVM . COPIARVM . IN . ANGLIA SCOTIA . ET . HIBERNIA DVX . SVPREMVS . ET THALASSIARCHA ÆTA : 52 . 1660.

The medal was intended to be distributed to the friends and supporters of General Monck. It is signed and dated 1660, the year of the Restoration of Charles II. The two brothers, Abraham Simon (b London, 1617; d ?1692) and Thomas Simon (b London, 1618; d London, 1665), were among the most outstanding medallists of English birth before the 19th century. In 1645 he was appointed jointly with his brother Engraver of Coins and Seals at the Royal Mint.

From around this time they produced many cast and chased portrait medals of distinguished contemporaries. According to Vertue (1780), the medals were cast from Abraham's wax portraits; they were then chased and often signed by Thomas. However, the possibility that Abraham's role also included casting and chasing is suggested by the appearance of his initials on some of the medals. Many of the medals thought to be collaborative efforts are of a particular size; they have no legend accompanying the portrait on the obverse, and a reverse consisting solely of a horizontally placed inscription.