Cleveland Museum of Art
Laurel: James I (obverse); Shield of Arms (reverse)
- Date
- 1619–1620
- Medium
- gold
- Culture
- England, James I, 1603-1625
- Department
- Medieval Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Object ID
- 144466
From the Cleveland Museum of Art record
In 1611 the value of all gold coins, which had previously been down-rated, was now raised by ten percent. Previously the gold coins had circulated at inconvenient fractional values, such as 33 shilling; 16 shillings and 6 pence; 4 shillings and 4 pence three farthings; and so forth. To obviate this a new unit of 20 shillings value was introduced, of which this is a specimen. Showing the king wearing a laurel wreath, it quickly became known as a "Laurel." The king is shown dressed as a Roman Emperor wearing armor.
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Provenance & credit
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- Credit line
- The Norweb Collection
- Provenance
- -1969: Mrs. Emery May Holden Norweb (1895-1984), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art | 1969-: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
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