William III silver "State of Britain" Medal 1697 AU (Scratched, Cleaned), Eimer-372, MI-II-192/499. 69mm. Edge plain. By J. Croker. This medal boasts one of the finest medallic portraits of William III, clearly a precursor for Croker's 1701 'Fine Work' portrait of the King. Croker was a German jeweler brought in to replace the last of the Roettier family of engravers, James, who was dismissed under suspicion of counterfeiting in 1697; Croker then proceeded to design some of the finest portraits that English engraving had seen since Simon, leading to his swift promotion. The realism and use of depth in this piece is extraordinary, every leaf in William's laureate wreath appearing delicately overlaid atop one another, his drapery flowing into catenary folds over his cuirassed bust, the reverse exhibiting a similar level of skill and detail. This piece has been cleaned in antiquity and largely retoned, with scattered scratches to the surfaces and a few digs in the reverse field. It succeeds, however, in retaining its superb eye appeal, and represents a pinnacle change in British medallic art.

HID09801242017

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