Nomos 5

Great Britain. James Scott, Duke of Monmouth. 1649-1685. Medal (Silver, 49mm, 43.82 g 12), on the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth at the Battle of Sedgemoor, on 6 July, by Jan Smeltzing, 1685. IACOBUS DUX MONUMET:FID:ET LIBERT:DEFENSOR. Armored bust of the Duke to right. Rev. PARUM SUCCESSIT FECI SEDULO (= It has succeeded little, but I acted dilligently) / MDCLXXXV. A soldier, dressed as a Roman, attempts to pry open a lion’s jaws. Eimer 277. MI I, p. 613, 22. van Loon III, pp. 307-308. Very rare. Beautifully toned and most attractive. Good extremely fine.

Ex Rauch 84, 13 May 2009, 2433, Spink 8006, 26 March 2008, 70 and Spinks NCirc, 107/7 (September 1999), 2679.

This medal commemorates the attempt by James Scott, the oldest illegitimate son of Charles II, to depose his uncle, James II. He was born in Rotterdam to Lucy Walter (1630-1658), the daughter of Welsh gentry who had become a renowned courtesan (she later died in obscurity in Paris). Charles II had acknowledged James as his son (the eldest of his 14 illegitimate children), but he was probably the son of Robert Sidney, a younger son of the Earl of Leicester. After Charles II returned to England James began a career as a military officer, at which he showed great talent and was much respected. This was especially true because he was Protestant, unlike his Catholic uncle. Due to an earlier plot in 1683 James Scott went into exile in the Netherlands, but returned upon the death of his father, landing in Dorset and proclaiming himself king in opposition to the Catholic James II. He raised a makeshift force of troops but was defeated and beheaded at the Tower on 15 July 1685 (the executioner needed at least 5 to 8 tries to get his head off).