This medal depicts Armand Jean du Plessis, better known as Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642). Richelieu was immensely powerful both in the Catholic Church (he was a Bishop in 1608 and became a Cardinal in 1622), and in the French Government. In 1624 he was appointed Chief Minister to the King, Louis XIII. This portrait shows him at the peak of his power and is the work of Jean Warin, a painter and sculptor but also the leading medallist of the time in France, then in the very early stages of his successful career. It is signed and dated 1630.

Jean Warin (1606-1672) was born in Liège, where he trained in the workshop of his father. Soon after creating this portrait of Richelieu and a larger one the following year, he was accused of forging coins, along with his father and uncle. Of the three, only he escaped execution, thanks to the intervention of Richelieu. He went on to be responsible for a major project of recoinage; ensuring that coins were produced which were well made and carefully edged so that they could not be tampered with by having their edges removed without this being noticed. His greatest achievement was to create a magnificent history of the reign of Louis XIV in a series of medals.