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William Sancroft, archbishop

Medal
1688 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Bower, George (medallist)
Place of origin
England (made)

This medal by George Bower commemorates the release of Archbishop William Sancroft and the six Bishops from the Tower of London in 1688. Sancroft and the other bishops had been imprisoned by James II on a charge of seditious libel when they opposed his Second Declaration of Indulgence for Roman Catholics and Dissenters. The reverse includes an extra bishop Henry Compton of London.

The medal is by George Bower (d. 1690), a medallist who worked in London from 1650 to 1689 and was appointed in 1664 Engraver to the Royal Mint and Embosser in Ordinary.


Object details

Categories
Coins & Medals
Christianity
Religion
Sculpture
Portraits
Object type
Medal
TitleWilliam Sancroft, archbishop (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Silver
Silver
Brief description
Medal, silver, depicting archbishop William Sancroft and six other bishops, by George Bower, England, 1688
Physical description
Medal depicts on the obverse: GVIL.SANCROFT.ARCHIEPISC.CANTVAR.1688. Bust of Sancroft to the right waring cap and robes. On the reverse: Medallions with portraits and names of the six imprisoned Bishops arranged round that of the Bishop of London; stars interspersed.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'GVIL.SANCROFT.ARCHIEPISC.CANTVAR.1688' (obverse)
  • 'GB.F' (signed below on the reverse)
  • 'GVIL.EP.S.ASAP' / 'FRANC.EP.EL' / 'IOAN.EP.CICESTR.' / 'HENR.EP.LONDIN' / THO.EP.BATH.ET.WEL.' / THO.EP.PETRIBURG' / '.IOAN.EP.BRISTOL' (reverse, from left to right and bottom to top inscribed within the roundels)
Object history
Given by Mrs Glinn, 1906.
Subjects depicted
Bishops
Robes
Stars
Sancroft, William (Archbishop of Canterbury)
Summary
This medal by George Bower commemorates the release of Archbishop William Sancroft and the six Bishops from the Tower of London in 1688. Sancroft and the other bishops had been imprisoned by James II on a charge of seditious libel when they opposed his Second Declaration of Indulgence for Roman Catholics and Dissenters. The reverse includes an extra bishop Henry Compton of London.

The medal is by George Bower (d. 1690), a medallist who worked in London from 1650 to 1689 and was appointed in 1664 Engraver to the Royal Mint and Embosser in Ordinary.
Associated object
A.22-1980 (Version)
Bibliographic reference
List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Years 1905 - 1908. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, During the Year 1906, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition with Appendix and Indices. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, 1909, p. 122
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
666-1906

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Record createdJanuary 9, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O182136/william-sancroft-archbishop-medal-bower-george/
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