Charles II c1660 Royal Oak Boscobel Silver Medallion Coin to Richard Penderel UK
For your consideration is an original Restoration-period silver engraved memorial medallion issued in the reign of Charles II (16601685), commemorating the events of 6 September 1651 following the kings defeat at the Battle of Worcester. Catalogued by Spink as England.
Royal Oak 1651 Memorial Engraved Medallion. The medallion is executed in silver and measures approximately 26.3 mm in diameter. The obverse presents an engraved depiction of the Royal Oak in which Charles II concealed himself while evading Parliamentary forces. The reverse bears a ten-line engraved legend reading: Sep. Cha: 2 after his defeat at Wor.
Was hid in an Oak-Tree in Boscobel Wood by Rd. Pendrill alias Trusty Did great Grandfather to WILLm. PENDRILL at Royal Oak in WORCESTER. The inscription is both historical and genealogical in character, explicitly naming Richard Pendrill (Penderel), remembered in Restoration tradition as Trusty Dick, and identifying his descendant William Pendrill. This specific lineage reference distinguishes the medallion from generalized Royal Oak commemoratives and situates it within a testimonial context associated directly with the family whose assistance enabled the kings survival. The medallion is mounted on a stem affixed to a miniature oak stave, reinforcing its symbolic association with the Royal Oak episode. Following the Restoration in 1660, Charles II granted annuities to members of the Penderel family in recognition of their loyalty, a fact recorded in Restoration administrative history. The present piece is most appropriately understood as a memorial or testimonial object rather than a documented fiscal instrument, yet it embodies the enduring recognition accorded to the family in the aftermath of the kings return. Unlike standard die-struck Restoration medals, this example appears to represent an individually engraved commission rather than a production issue. On the basis of currently recorded material, it may therefore be regarded as unique in inscription and form. As such, it occupies a singular position within Restoration material culture, serving as a tangible artifact of dynastic survival and the formalized memory of loyalty that underpinned the restoration of the Stuart monarchy.