Charles I

Charles I, the "Forlorn Hope" portrait, uniface openwork silver Royalist Badge, c. 1649, by Thomas Rawlins, bust of the King three-quarters right, hair long and lovelock over his left shoulder, in armour, scalloped lace collar and ribbon for Garter George, leaf border, the background field cut-away, 46.5 x 32.5mm (MI 368/ 253; pl XXXIII/4; cf MI 301/122; pl XXVI/8; cf Platt I, p. 298, type B; Farquhar, Forlorn Hope, Pl XXIII, I), integral suspension loop and base finial. Very fine, a scratch through the King's right eye, and an extreme rarity.

MI records just one openwork badge (MI 368/254 - Platt, p. 181), this from a single specimen in the British Museum. An example of this uniface badge, though with its background intact, is again described from a single specimen in the British Museum, however since then the Fitzwilliam Museum has acquired an example. Like the BM specimen this piece has two small rivets on the reverse perhaps for attachment to clothing, a book cover or snuff box. Platt describes one further openwork badge with a previously unpublished left-facing bust (p. 181, type I).