Unique Swiss Shooting Medal

Zohar

Just purchased this one from NEN. As always, they do know how to pick'em.

I do not know which battle this refers to yet the designwork/detail here is outstanding IMO.

Buffalode

I agree. The more I see of Hans Frei's work the more impressed I become. Thank you for sharing this and your other help.

SeattleSlammer

worldcoinguy

Very nice design Zohar!

Hussulo

Love that one and unique wow.

JCMhouston

I wonder if that may be something like the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs during the Old Zurich War, 1500 Swiss Pikeman stood off 20,000 invaders. They finally holed up in a hospital which was bombarded with artillery. Then fought hand to hand to the last man and took 4000 of the invading force with them forcing a general retreat.

Zurich was invaded by the way for forming an alliance with Frederick III Holy Roman Emporer which was seen as treason by the other cantons.

Buffalode

<< <i>I wonder if that may be something like the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs during the Old Zurich War, 1500 Swiss Pikeman stood off 20,000 invaders. They finally holed up in a hospital which was bombarded with artillery. Then fought hand to hand to the last man and took 4000 of the invading force with them forcing a general retreat.

Zurich was invaded by the way for forming an alliance with Frederick III Holy Roman Emporer which was seen as treason by the other cantons. >>



I believe you are right. My translation ability is very limited, but the book Die Werke des Medailleur's Hans Frei in Basel, 1894-1906 that Zohar was kind enough to send me a link to says:

Episode aus der Schlacht von Sankt Jacob an der Birs....

There is more that I don't understand yet. According to that book the medal was done in 1906.

Zohar

The Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs, fought near Basel in Switzerland on 26 August 1444, was a battle of the Old Zürich War.

In 1443, the seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy invaded the canton of Zürich and beseiged the city. Zürich had made an alliance with Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, who now appealed to Charles VII of France to send an army to relieve the siege.

Charles, seeking to send away troublesome troops made idle by the truce with Henry VI of England in the Hundred Years' War, sent his son the Dauphin (later Louis XI of France) with an army of about 30,000 mercenaries into Switzerland. At St Jakob an der Birs near Basel they were stopped by a Swiss force of 1,600 soldiers. The Swiss were wiped out in the battle that followed, but inflicted so many casualties (8,000 killed) on the French that they withdrew.