During the English Civil Wars, allegiance could be carried on the body. Small enough to wear or pin, a badge like this declared loyalty to the Crown in a divided kingdom where political symbols were not merely decorative.
This cast and chased silver-gilt badge presents a bare-headed portrait of Charles I with a falling lace collar on one side, and the crowned royal arms within the Garter on the reverse. Its scale is intimate, but its message is not. Portrait, arms, and gilded surface compress monarchy and legitimacy into an object made to be held close.
Published in both Medallic Illustrations and the catalogue of the Dr. Jerome J. Platt collection, this example is documented as a Royalist badge type attributed to T. Rawlins. It survives with a large crack across its upper half—a significant condition issue, plainly disclosed here—while the portrait itself remains intact.
Date: Mid-17th century
Origin: England
Material: Cast and chased silver-gilt
Dimensions: 27 × 20 mm; 2.40 g
Design: Portrait of Charles I on the obverse; crowned royal arms within the Garter on the reverse
Condition: A large crack crosses the upper half of the badge. The portrait remains intact. Please review all photographs closely for condition and surface detail.
During the English Civil Wars, allegiance could be carried on the body. Small enough to wear or pin, a badge like this declared loyalty to the Crown in a divided kingdom where political symbols were not merely decorative.
This cast and chased silver-gilt badge presents a bare-headed portrait of Charles I with a falling lace collar on one side, and the crowned royal arms within the Garter on the reverse. Its scale is intimate, but its message is not. Portrait, arms, and gilded surface compress monarchy and legitimacy into an object made to be held close.
Published in both Medallic Illustrations and the catalogue of the Dr. Jerome J. Platt collection, this example is documented as a Royalist badge type attributed to T. Rawlins. It survives with a large crack across its upper half—a significant condition issue, plainly disclosed here—while the portrait itself remains intact.
Date: Mid-17th century
Origin: England
Material: Cast and chased silver-gilt
Dimensions: 27 × 20 mm; 2.40 g
Design: Portrait of Charles I on the obverse; crowned royal arms within the Garter on the reverse
Condition: A large crack crosses the upper half of the badge. The portrait remains intact. Please review all photographs closely for condition and surface detail.
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