Naseby Cup Honorand: John and Mary Frances Fitzgerald

1839

Numismatics

On view, 1st floor, Numismatics

This magnificent silver cup was commissioned by John and Mary Frances Fitzgerald, the Lord and Lady of the Manor at Naseby, to commemorate the Battle of Naseby. Fought on June 14, 1645, the battle was part of the English Civil War between King Charles I and the British Parliament led by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. Elaborate silverworks became popular in England during the Victorian era, though subject matter and function varied considerably. To produce the piece, seventy-two coins, counters, and medals from the period of the English Civil War were integrated into the silver trophy. Many of these are incredibly rare and include a New England Shilling dating to 1652, as well as a large gold Crown of Charles I, which was minted in Oxford in 1644 and depicts a horseman and a view of the city.

Medium

Silver and gold

Dimensions

19 × 14 3/8 × 7 1/4 in. (48.3 × 36.5 × 18.4 cm)
with base: 26 3/8 × 14 3/8 × 7 5/8 in. (67 × 36.5 × 19.4 cm)

Credit Line

Transfer from the Yale University Library, Numismatic Collection, 2001, Gift of Eric Streiner

Accession Number

2001.87.56180

Geography
Culture
Period

19th century

Classification
Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

Provenance

Probably sale at auction, Christie’s, England; sold to Eric Streiner, New York, about 1988–1989 [see note 1]; gift to the Yale University Library, New Haven, Conn., about 1990; transferred to the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn., 2001

Note 1: According to verbal communication with the donor, January 2021.
Bibliography
  • Benjamin D. R. Hellings, The Naseby Cup: Coins and Medals of the English Civil War (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2024), ill
Object copyright
Additional information

Subject

commemorations

Technical metadata and APIs

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