Nomos

Auction 13  –  7 October 2016

Nomos, Auction 13

Greek, Roman, Byzantine and early Medieval coins, European medals from 1513 t...

Fr, 07.10.2016, from 1:30 PM CEST
The auction is closed.

Description

European Medals from 1513 to 1788
Netherlands, The Dutch Republic. Medal (Silver, 71mm, 122.24 g 12), on the Peace of Breda, Amsterdam, by Christoffel Adolfzoon, 1667. MITIS ET FORTIS ( mild and firm ) Hollandia, helmeted and partially armored, standing facing between a lamb and a lion, her left foot treading on the figure of Discord, a semi-nude gorgon-headed old woman, lying before her; behind her on her right, Dutch warships sailing to left; on her left, British warships burning; behind, the palace at Breda; in exergue, PROCUL.HINC.MALA.BESTIA / REGNIS! (= go away from these states, you vicious beast !) IUN: 22. / 1667.C.A. Rev. Pax standing facing; above, hand of God emerging from the clouds holding the shields of England and the Netherlands, and, long ribbon inscribed IRATO BELLUM PLACATO NUMINE PAX EST (= war from an angry divinity, peace from one appeased ); below, REDIIT.CONCORDIAE.MATER / BREDAE (= Mother Concord has returned at Breda ) and IUL.31 .Ao.1667. On edge: NUMISMA.POSTERITATI.SACRUM.BELGA.BRITANNOQUE RECONCILIATIS,CUM.PRIVIL:ORDIN:HOLLAND:ET:WEST (= A medal consecrated to posterity on the occasion of the Peace between the United Provinces and Great Britain. With the permission of the States of Holland and West Friesland ). MI I, pp. 528-529, 176. PiN 257. Scher, The Proud Republic, 38. TMNK 00740. Van Loon II, pp. 534-536, I. A very rare piece, boldly struck in high relief and nicely toned. A few very minor marks and an inconspicuous die break on the reverse, otherwis e , extremely fine. A superb and very beautiful example. This is one of the most famous of all Dutch medals, but has the dubious distinction of while being struck in honor of the peace treaty that ended the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667), was actually one of the causes of a subsequent war! The reason for this is that the hag on whom Hollandia treads on the obverse has the epithet Mala Bestia, pernicious beast, which had been used for the English king Charles II by his enemies (and the features of the Hag are similar to those of Charles as well)! Not only that, but the Dutch destruction of the British fleet at Chatham (known as the Battle of Chatham in Dutch sources and the Raid on the Medway in British) appears as well. This remarkable feat, under the Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, led to the Peace Treaty of Breda, which this medal commemorates. However, it was surely not the most diplomatic thing to put on a peace medal; Charles II’s government protested and, in the end, the medal was recalled and its dies destroyed (though the Dutch authorities had previously made sure that everyone who wanted an example, had one!).

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Price realized 7'500 CHF
Starting price 6'800 CHF
Estimate 8'500 CHF
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