The Maryland Medal: Cecil Calvert, 1605-1675, 2nd Baron of Baltimore 1632, 1st Lord Proprietary of Maryland and Avalon [obverse] 1644

Curator: Take a look at this striking metal medal dating back to 1644. It depicts Cecil Calvert, also known as the 2nd Baron of Baltimore. Editor: He has this… faraway gaze. Melancholic, almost. It’s funny, being immortalized on a coin, a face staring out across centuries. Kinda spooky, no? Curator: Medals like these often served as more than just currency. They acted as symbols of power and legacy. The inscription circling his image would have been quite intentional. Think about what the symbolism surrounding Avalon, associated with Arthurian legend, would mean at the time. Editor: Right, Avalon. It promises something grand and perhaps a bit…mythical. I mean, he wanted Maryland, this new colony, to echo with legend, with a touch of Camelot. Did he see himself as a new kind of Arthur, forging a kingdom? I imagine he thought that this coin would be the same for future generations as it is for us. Curator: Perhaps. Notice how his features, though somewhat softened, convey authority and a certain level of gentility fitting a Lord. The baroque style, while not fully developed, is evident in the detailing of his hair. And notice that even that hairstyle would have signified wealth. Editor: All that flowing hair in painstaking metalwork— definitely shouts 'status!' But you know, it's kind of an odd mix to me. You have the forward-looking, ambitious baron, and then you have the medal looking like it emerged straight out of the Middle Ages, especially that stern lettering that surrounds the profile. Curator: Interesting juxtaposition. This speaks to how people during this period are neither fully entrenched in old, symbolic orders, nor completely separated from their historical counterparts. The Maryland Medal then becomes a document of tension as much as triumph. Editor: Exactly, and makes me wonder about who Cecil Calvert was as a person. What ambitions he harbored beyond claiming territory. What really motivated this slightly sad, beautiful face frozen in time on this Baroque coin? I am hooked now. Curator: Indeed, these visual artifacts have that remarkable power: turning cold history into warm human intrigue. Editor: Absolutely. Now I'm gonna need a magnifying glass and some more history books. Wish me luck.