MEDAL. 
where jcience and the arts had flourished, 
and whence their influence had diverged to 
surroundins; nations ; but they must exult 
in the recollection of the gradual return of 
day, which at length reached its meridian, 
and exhibited a grand picture of learning 
and tlie liberal arts. Upon their revival 
the study of medals became an object of 
primary importance, and Petrarch appears 
at the head of those who justly appreciated 
their value ; sensible of the spirit of emula- 
tion they were calculated to inspire, he 
sent the Emperor, Charles IV., several 
made in honour of great and good men, 
with an invitation to imitate their con- 
duct. 
Alphonso, King of Arragon, acted upon 
the principle recommended by Petrarch, 
and carried a coUection he had ordered to 
be made, constantly with him, in order that 
he might remember the qualities which 
caused their being struck. Examples like 
those were not without imitation in succeed- 
ing periods, but the most noble and magni- 
ficent consequence was the Cabinet of 
Cosmo de Medici, which was for a long 
time the admiration of Europe. Keysler, 
who saw this collection in 1730, asserts, 
that “ with regard to the number of old 
coins, they reckon at present three hundred 
and twelve medallions, among which are 
forty-five of silver. The largest copper 
medallion is a Julia, the consort of Septi- 
mus Seveius. The copper coins of the 
smaller size amount to about eight hundred, 
and those of th.e larger size to one thousand 
eight hundred. The middle sort, by the 
Flench called Moyen Bronze, are two thou- 
sand tw'o hundred, and this collection is the. 
most valuable and curious, containing a 
great number of Greek eoins. Among the 
silver pieces are eight hundred consular 
ones, and upwards of two thousand others. 
Here are six hundred pieces of gold, and 
sixteen medallions of the same metal. I 
was assured by Bianchi, that the largest 
gold medal weighs one hundred and sixteen 
Louis d’ors, and represents the Emperor 
John Palaeologus VI., who assisted at the 
Council of Florence. 
The number of medals in gold, silver, 
and copper, struck in honour of cities and 
countries, amounts to fifteen hundred. The 
gold and copper ones of this assortment 
are the most curious. The whole collec- 
tion consists of fourteen thousand ancient, 
and eight thousand modern medals. Of 
the latter there are nine hundred of gold, 
and two thousand of silver, amongst which 
the largest is that of Cosmo III., and up- 
wards of three thousand in copper. 
This collection eclipsed every other, 
though there were many of very great ex- 
tent in diiFerent parts of the continent ; nor 
have the learned of England been deficient 
in their exertions to pro'cure those useful 
evidences of past transactions. Camden, 
who first engraved medals for his valuable 
works, is supposed to have been one of the 
first collectors ; to whom may he added. 
Sir Robert Cotton. Henry, Prince of 
Wales, son of James I., possessed thirty 
thousand coins and medals. Archbishop 
Laud gave five thousand five hundred coins 
to the Bodleian library. The Earl of Arun- 
del, celebrated for his taste in selecting 
specimens of antiquity, had an excellent 
collectidn of medals; and Evelyn enume- 
rates the Dukes of Hamilton and Buck- 
ingham, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir William 
Paston, Sir Thomas Hanmer, Messrs. Shel- 
don, Selden, and many others, as having 
in their possession cabjiiets of medals. 
Charles I., a monarch who would have 
done more to Improve the state of the arts 
in England than all his predecessors, had 
his reign been happy, collected a vast num- 
ber, which were lo.st after his dethrone- 
ment ; and his historian. Lord Clarendon, 
endeavoured to rival his royal master in 
this interesting pursuit, which appears to 
have been in some degree a favourite one 
with Oliver Cromwell. 
Charles 11. entertained a similar parti- 
ality for medals, but his successors have 
entirely neglected them, and siiflTered their 
subjects to set them an example which 
it is much to be wished they had followed. 
Amongst those were Sir Hans Sloane, the 
Earls of Pembroke and Winchelsea, and 
several others, mentioned by Haym, who 
wrote about 1720. Since the above period 
our general knowledge of medals has been 
considerably increased, and tlie skill with 
which the most recent collections were 
made, does infinite honour to the penetration 
and acumen of our medallists, who are fre- 
quently enabled to detect fictitious pieces, 
which have been made with suflicient art to 
impose upon foreigners. Several noblemen 
and gentlemen now possess rich cabinets, 
and the British Museum contains a superb 
collection derived fiom numerous sources. 
Medals have from necessity been uni- 
formly struck on copper, variously mixed 
with other substances, silver, and gold, the 
most ancient of the latter mrtal are evi- 
dently ia its native state, neither purified 
