Richard Sackville

Richard Sackville, 3rd Earl of Dorset, (1590-1624), oval tin portrait medal, undated, in imitation engraving, by Simon de Passe, bust of Sackville three-quarters left (turning to viewer), wearing lace collar and doublet, the string of which he holds in his left hand, rev., Sackville arms with leopard supporters and crested helm, below in cartouche, TOVSIOVR LOYAL, legend around, CLARISSIMVS D RICHARD SACKVILE BARO BVCKHVRSTIÆ COMES DORCESTRIÆ, 53 x 46.5mm (MI 232/93). Strictly fine and unusual as a soft-metal cast, pierced and plugged at top, excessively rare.

MI has placed this medal as 1624 but it was almost certainly made somewhat earlier. 1624 was both the year of Sackville's death and the year that de Passe moved to Denmark. The silver specimen in the BM is listed in MI as "Unique?". This is the only other specimen in the Falkiner Index.

Provenance: Ex Greta S Heckett Collection, Sotheby's, 25 May 1977 (lot 59); Baldwin Auction, 7 May, 2003 (lot 1285).