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MEDALS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
In last week's issue I mentioned the book The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger's Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare's First Folio. It made me wonder if there were many interesting medals relating to Shakespeare. Here are a few I found on the internet. Can anyone provide others, or identify a numismatic reference? Has anyone every built a collection or compiled a catalog of Shakespeare medals?
-Editor
Dassier's Shakespeare Medal 
DASSIER, Jean: England, ca.1733, Bronze, 43 mm Obv: Bust of Shakespeare (Facing) GUILIELMUS SHAKESPEARE. Rev: Mountainscape with meandering river WILD ABOVE RULE OR ART Exergue: NAT.1564. From Jean Dassier's Series, The British Worthies. Ref: Med. Ill. i, 208/42; Forrer I, p.516 (Illustrated); Eisler I, 283/1; Thompson 39/01; Weiss BW372 William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was the most celebrated poet and playwright of his time. His plays became known throughout the world and praised for their insight and use of the English language. Shakespeare was baptized at Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. His father, John Shakespeare, was a burgess of the borough, who in 1565 was chosen an alderman and in 1568 bailiff. William married Anne Hathaway of Stratford at the age of 18. It is not clear how his career in the theater began, but from about 1594 onward he was an important member of the Lord Chamberlain's company of players (called the King's Men after the accession of James I in 1603). They had the best actor, Richard Burbage; they had the best theater, the Globe; and they had the best dramatist, Shakespeare. He died in 1616 at Stratford-upon-Avon. The portrait on Dassier's medal is taken from the Chandos picture, now in the National Gallery. The reverse is intended to characterize the genius and structure of the poet's works, coinciding with Johnson's opinion, 'The composition of Shakespeare is a forest in which oaks extend their branches, pines tower in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelter to myrtles and roses, filling the eye with awful pomp and gratifying the mind with endless variety'. (from Thompson, p.39).
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Boydell's Shakespeare Medal 
Thomas Banks' sculpture shown here on a medal. These medals were given to those who subscribed to an edition of Boydell's Shakespeare, 1803
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1816 Garrick Stratford Jubilee Medal 
Back in 1769 a bronze medal had been struck by Westwood of Birmingham to celebrate the Garrick Jubilee in Stratford. In 1816 when the first celebration was held on Shakespeare’s birthday, a handsome bill proclaimed that “A beautiful medal… manufactured by Otley & Dowler of Birmingham, representing the Immortal Shakespeare was available in Stratford from Mr Ward. ” Birmingham continued to supply medals to commemorate Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations, and several examples are shown on the Windows on Warwickshire website. Gentlemen from Birmingham were members of the Shakespearean Club, and took part in the annual celebrations held in Stratford.
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1864 Shakespeare Tercentenary Medal 
Medal struck to celebrate the tercentenary of the birth of Shakespeare. The obverse features the bust of Shakespeare facing left and the inscription 'WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE BORN APRIL 23.1564. DIED APRIL 23.1616'. The reverse features an image of Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon with the inscription 'BIRTHPLACE OF THE/ IMMORTAL BARD/ STRATFORD ON/ AVON'. The inscription around the outside reads 'TERCENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF SHAKESPEARE/ APRIL 1864'.
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1964 Shakespeare 400th Anniversary Medal 
A bronze medal commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, 1964. Made in the Soviet Union, designed by I. Daragan.
Marks & inscriptions
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To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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