King James I (1566-1625) with Anne of Denmark (1574-1619) and Charles, Prince of Wales (1600-1649)

Object Type
The custom of presenting painted miniatures of the royal image was long established in England. The alternative, of engraved silver medallions to be worn suspended on ribbons, was derived from contemporary Dutch practice adopted in England. Wearing a portrait of the King or Queen was a sign of royal favour and later became a symbol of political loyalty.

People
James VI of Scotland (ruled 1567-1625) married Anne of Denmark (1574-1619) in 1589 before succeeding to the English throne in 1603. The couple are shown here with their son Charles, Prince of Wales, who was born in 1600.

Simon de Passe (possibly born in 1595, died 1647) was born in Cologne and worked as an engraver in Utrecht in The Netherlands. He spent some time in Copenhagen working for Anne's brother Christian IV, King of Denmark-Norway (ruled 1588-1648). In England he received orders from James I to produce a series of portrait medallions in silver, perhaps as gifts for favoured courtiers. One at least is dated 1616 and the series was completed by 1619.

Materials & Making
There is some discussion as to how these medals were made. The fact that a number of copies exist has led some scholars to suggest that they were cast from a mould. Close examination shows, however, that there are small differences between them. One possibility is that they were partly cast and then engraved. It is impossible to determine exactly how they were made without analysing the structure of the metal, which would risk damaging them.