The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Half Pound: Elizabeth I (obverse); Crowned Shield of Arms (reverse)

Half Pound: Elizabeth I (obverse); Crowned Shield of Arms (reverse)

1601
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Elizabeth I was the last of the five monarchs from the House of Tudor.

Description

The design of this rare piece is similar to another in the collection of Elizabeth I, 1969.184. However, the initial marks denote it was struck in 1601. Elizabeth I is shown finely dressed and around her is her abbreviated title, Elizabeth by the Grace of God, Queen of England, France and Ireland. On the reverse is the shield of arms of England showing lions and the fleur-de-lis. Although Elizabeth was officially titled Queen of France, the title was a hollow one. Calais, England's last French territory, was lost in the reign of Mary I. This version of the coat of arms lasted until James I who added the arms of Scotland and Ireland.
  • -1969
    Mrs. Emery May Holden Norweb (1895-1984), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1969-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, and Emery May Norweb. English Gold Coins, Ancient to Modern Times, On Loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art from the Norweb Collection. [Catalog. 1968. p. 45
  • Master Goldsmiths of the Renaissance: Their Models and Designs. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 2, 1982-March 20, 1983).
    Year in Review: 1969. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 27-February 22, 1970).
    English Gold Coins: Ancient to Modern Times. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1963).
  • {{cite web|title=Half Pound: Elizabeth I (obverse); Crowned Shield of Arms (reverse)|url=false|author=|year=1601|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1969.186