The Christopher Foley, F.S.A., Collection Of Early English Medals - 16th October 2014
Lot 280
Sir Charles Erskine of Alva (1617-1663)
Estimate £200 - £300
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Description
Sir Charles Erskine of Alva (1617-1663), cast bronze portrait medal, 1647, by Abraham Simon, bust left, long hair falling over plain lace collar and buttoned doublet, rev., legend, 1647 CAR ÆRESKINVS EQV ÆT 30, 35.5mm (MI 330/173: Platt II, p. 94). A well-worn cast that appears to be contemporary, pierced twice, to left and right of bust, extremely rare.
MI lists a single specimen in gold and two others, both silver. The date of Sir Charles Erskine's birth is shown elsewhere as 1611 (not 1617 as implied by the medal). He was the 4th son of John, 8th Earl of Mar and married Mary Hope in 1639. In 1645 he was a commissioner negotiating the Treaty of Uxbridge, a significant but abortive negotiation to try to end the First Civil War. In the same year he also served as a Commissioner for Scotland at the Westminster Assembly of Divines the purpose of which was to restructure the Church of England.
Provenance: Bt. eBay, December, 2008.