103283 | GREAT BRITAIN. Shunamite's Son Restored to Life silvered bronze Medal

103283  |  GREAT BRITAIN. Shunamite's Son Restored to Health silvered bronze Medal. Issued circa 1830. Medallic Illustrations of the Holy Scriptures series: the Shunamite's son restored to life on the prayer of Elisha (73mm, 159.23 g, 12h). By Sir Edward Thomasen in Birmingham.

 

THE SHUNAMITE'S SON RESTORED TO LIFE ON THE PRAYER OF ELISHA, bedchamber in which Elisha crouches down over the son of the woman from Shunam, restoring him to life // "895 B.C. / ELISHA RETURND TO SAMARIA / AND PERFORMD THE EXTRAORDINARY / MIRACLES OF ENCREASING THE WIDOWS / OIL, THE RESTORING THE DEAD CHILD OF / THE SHUNAMITE TO LIFE–THE RECOVERING / OF THE AXE HEAD WHICH WAS DROPPED INTO / THE RIVER. THE KING OF SYRIA IS AT WAR WITH / JEHORAM KING OF ISRAEL BUT FINDS THAT ELIJAH / HAD BETRAYED HIS COUNSELS. HE SURROUNDS THE / CITY OF DOTHAN TO TAKE ELISHA–THE PROPHET PRAYD / THAT GOD WOULD STRIKE THEM WITH TEMPORARY / BLINDNESS AND THUS HE ESCAPED UNKNOWN THROU / GH THE ARMY OF THE SYRIANS. GOD SENT ELISHA / TO ANOINT JEHU TO BE KING OF ISRAEL THAT HE / MIGHT EXTERMINATE AHABS FAMILY, WHEN JEHO– / RAM AND AHAZIAH ARE SHOT WITH ARROWS – / JEHU DRIVES FURIOUSLY TO JEZREEL TO JAZA– / BEL THE QUEEN MOTHER. HE COMMANDS THE / SERVANTS TO THROW HER OUT OF THE WINDOW / THE HORSES TRAMPLE UPON HER UPON THE / PAVEMENT AND THE DOGS DEVOUR HER / BODY ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE / LORD WHICH HE SPAKE TO ELIJAH / SAYING, IN THE PORTION OF JEZ / REEL SHALL DOGS EAT THE / FLESH OF JEZEBEL" in 27 lines; winged head of cherub above and below. Edge: Plain.

 

BHM 1468.45; Eimer 1238. Choice Mint State. Attractively and deeply toned, especially upon the obverse. Extremely rare in a format other than white metal, which itself is normally encountered very pestered and full of issues.

 

Part of a series of 60 medals that attempted to tell various important tales from the Bible in medallic form, this medal is usually encountered in white metal, with the white metal itself generally faring rather poorly. Here, however, it would appear to be one of the more elusive issues in a better metal and finish, clearly not employing the lighter and less durable white metal. Solid silver issues were produced in very small quantities for foreign VIPs such as monarchs, and Thomasen is believed to have had a gilt bronze set produced for himself. No sales records could be found for any of these lesser-encountered metal types, meaning that they must all be incredibly rare, especially when seen so dazzling as the present specimen.

 

Upload: 19 November 2025.