Briot, Nicolas

Extract

(bc. 1579; d London, 1646).

French medallist, also active in England and Scotland. Briot succeeded Philippe Danfrie (i) as Engraver-General of French coinage in 1606. His tenure of the office was stormy, partly because of his frequent absences while working at the mints of Nancy, Charleville and Sedan and partly because of his scheming to gain control of all the mints in France through the introduction of his own mechanized system of coin production. His invention was, however, both a mechanical and a financial failure, forcing him to flee to London in 1625. He was appointed engraver at the Royal Mint and in 1635 became Master of the Scottish Mint.

Briot was responsible for the coronation medal of Louis XIII (1610; e.g. London, BM), whose portrait is probably from a wax by Guillaume Dupré, and a series of small, jetton-like struck medals made to commemorate events in England during the reign of Charles I. His other works include a large cast medal of the King’s physician ...