Petition Crown Público Deposited
In the year 1663 the celebrated Simon Petition Crown was pro duced. It arose out of a trial of skill be- tween Thomas Simon, who held the office of engraver to the mint since 1646, and .John Roettier, a Flemish engraver, who was brought over under the patronage of Charles II. Both made pattern pieces for a. new coinage to be introduced, but Roet- tier s work was accepted and he received orders to prepare the dies. Simon ex- pressed his displeasure at the verdict and was deprived of his office by the King.
The artists' petition is on the edge of the pattern-piece and reads: THOMAS SIMON MOST . HVMBLY . PRAYS YOVR . MAJESTY TO COMPARE THIS . HIS . TRYALL . PIECE . WITH . THE . DVTCH . AND . IF . MORE . TRVLY . DRAWN . & . EMBOSS 'd . MORE . GRACE : FVLLY . ORDERED . AND . MORE . AC- CVRATELY . ENGRAVEN . TO . RELEIVE . HIM.
About twenty of these pieces were struck off with the petition, and a small number without. See Reddite Crown.
- Frey's Dictionary (American Journal of Numismatics, Vol. 50, 1916)