Item 1144a: Medal commemorating Sir Francis Drake’s voyage around the world from 1577-1580 / engrave...
Item 1144a: Medal commemorating Sir Francis Drake’s voyage around the world from 1577-1580 / engrave...
Item 1144a: Medal commemorating Sir Francis Drake’s voyage around the world from 1577-1580 / engraved by Michael Mercator
About this item
Full title
Author / Creator
Date
ca. 1589
Call Numbers
SAFE/DN/M 1144/Item a
Record Identifier
Reference Code
Formats
Physical Description
Contents
1 medal - diameter 68 mm - silver, 27.48 g (424 grains)
Other Descriptions
Level of description
Item
Access and use
Physical Access Conditions
Access to this pictures collection via appointment only. Please submit your request through Ask a Librarian : Due to security reasons this collection is not available for browsing
Issue Copy
Digitised
Subjects
More information
Scope and Contents
Contents
A medal commemorating Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the earth and widely known as as the Drake silver medal or map. Mounted loosely on a turquoise velvet lined frame, 13.9 x 16.1 cm, an ivory plaque is mounted on the velvet. Accompanied by hand printed booklet titled 'Voyage of Sir Francis Drake' produced by Spink and Son, and two letters...
Alternative Titles
Full title
Item 1144a: Medal commemorating Sir Francis Drake’s voyage around the world from 1577-1580 / engraved by Michael Mercator
Variant title
Drake Medal, Voyage Around The World, [C.1581]
Authors, Artists and Contributors
Author / Creator
Notes
General note
Forms part of Series 03 Part 06: Sir William Dixson medal collection : Great Britain : medals, medalets and miscellaneous
Digital order no:Album ID : 997273
Replica of medal commemorating Sir Francis Drake’s voyage around the world from 1577 (R 1021)
Britain. Medals.
Drake Medal, Voyage Around The World. Silver, diameter 68mm. Weight 27.48grams. N.D. [C. 1581]
Condition Very Fine, small tang pierced and broken through at top, small dent in pacific ocean under E of MARE, formly in collection of Sir John Evans, see correspondence from spinks to Leon Kashor, June 13th 1923. Mounted loosely o...
Attributions / Conjectures
The attribution and dating of the medal has been taken from Sir Francis Drake: a pictorial biography by H.P. Kraus. Amsterdam : N. Israel, 1970. This publication, also available online, includes a list of the nine specimens known to survive. Only one of these known examples bears a cartouche containing the date and Mercator's name and was presumabl...
Conservation note
Very fine condition, small tang pierced and broken through at top, small dent in Pacific Ocean under E of Mare.
Description source
Numismatic and Philatelic Lists
Object History
Purchased through Spink & Sons, from the collection of Sir John Evans in 1923 who is believed to have acquired the medal from Mr John. G Murdoch in June 1904 who purchased the medal from Lord Arthur Dillon in 1892.
Contextual Information
Exhibited in
Administrative / Biographical history
Michael Mercator, cartographer and engraver, was born between 1565 and 1570, and was the grandson of Gerard Mercator. Little is known of his career however it is known that he engraved a world map which appeared in the 1595 edition of Mercator's Atlas. Poll tax returns show that Mercator was in London in 1590, being assessed in June of that year as...
Identifiers
Primary Identifiers
Call Numbers
SAFE/DN/M 1144/Item a
Record Identifier
YEGmyQXn
Permalink
https://devfeature-collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/YEGmyQXn
Other Identifiers
Reference code
825796
How to access this item
For use in the Library
Enquire with staff in the reading room or enquire online using Ask a Librarian.
For more information see How to use Special Collections.
