Simon
English family of medallists. The two brothers, Abraham Simon (b London, 1617; d ?1692) and Thomas Simon (b London, 1618; d London, 1665), were among the most outstanding medallists of English birth before the 19th century. Abraham worked for Queen Christina of Sweden and in Holland before returning to England c. 1643. He was a skilful wax-modeller, as revealed by his self-portrait in that medium (London, BM). Thomas worked for the Royal Mint, London, in the mid-1630s, where he received training from Nicolas Briot. His earliest known work is a die for a medal struck to commemorate the demise of the Scottish rebellion of 1639. In 1645 he was appointed jointly with his brother Engraver of Coins and Seals at the Royal Mint. From around this time they produced many cast and chased portrait medals of distinguished contemporaries. According to Vertue (1780), the medals were cast from Abraham's wax portraits; they were then chased and often signed by Thomas. However, the possibility that Abraham's role also included casting and chasing is suggested by the appearance of his initials on some of the medals. Moreover, as Thomas was an ardent Parliamentarian, it is unlikely that he was involved in the production of those medals that portray noted Royalists. Thomas's role may also have been more extensive than generally supposed: his sketchbook (London, V&A) contains sketches for portrait medals.
See the Abbreviations for further details.
