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Uber cool medal from Sweden - 1634
worldcoinguy
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This one caught my eye on the CNG website. This phenominal 79 mm piece might be one of the most amazing medals from this period I have ever seen. Simply phenominal... (disclaimer - I have no connection to this piece, to CNG, or Swedish material in the least....just thought it was worth a post for the sheer numismatic wow factor)
Nomos 5, Lot: 58. Estimate CHF8000.
Sweden. Gustavus II Adolphus. 1611–1632. Medal in the weight of 5 1/2 Thalers (Silver, 79mm, 160 g), minted by order of the Swedish government to commemorate the return of the King’s body to Stockholm, by Sebastian Dadler in Danzig (Gdansk), 1634. GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS MAGNUS DEI GRATIA SUECOR:GOTHOR:ET VANDALOR:REX AUGUSTUS At the center, the armored and crowned body of Gustavus Adophus lying in state at the battlefied of Lützen; behind, scene of the battle with the victorious Swedes driving the enemy before them to left, and with an angel accompanying them, bearing a sword with VEL MORTUUM FUGIUNT (even they flee death); above, Hebrew name of Jehovah in a halo of rays and many angels in clouds; at the center, two angels carry the soul of the king to heaven, EUGE SERVE FIDELIS (=well done faithful servant). In the exergue, NATUS 9 DEC:ANNO 1594 / GLORIOSE MORTUUS 6 / NOU:ANO 1632. Rev. DUX GLORIOS PRINC PIUS HEROS INVICT VICTOR INCOMPARAB TRUMPH FELIX & GERM LIBERATOR A 1634 (=Glorious leader, pious prince, invincible hero, incomparable victor, happily triumphant and liberator of Germany. In the year 1634 Gustavus, wearing armor and holding a Bible and a sword, riding in a chariot drawn by three winged horses over the Hydra of Discord; to left, Faith, holding a Bible topped by a flaming heart and, to right, Courage, holding a column, both crowning the king with a laurel wreath; on the chariot wheel, signature SD; above, ET VITA ET MORTE / TRIUMPHO (=I triumph in both life and death). Hildebrand I, p. 192, 188. Maué 35. Wiecek 89. Very rare. A beautifully toned and beautifully preserved example of heavy weight. A few very minor marks, otherwise, virtually as struck.
After his death at the Battle of Lützen on 6 November 1632, the king’s body was first bought to Weissenfels and then, in Spring 1633, to Wolgast on the island of Usedom. Then, in July 1633 the Swedish fleet brought the body back to Sweden, landing on 8 August at Nyköping where the body was kept until the grave monument in the Riddarholskyrka in Stockholm was completed. At the funeral celebrations, which took place on 22 June 1634, these medals were distributed among the participants. Gustaf Adolf den store, the name formally given to him by the Swedish parliament in 1634, was the most important of all Swedish kings and, had he not been killed, the borders between Protestant and Catholic Europe would have surely been quite different, and the Counter-Reformation would have been seriously retarded. Born in 1594, he had led his armies since he became king at 17 and was a charismatic leader with an iron will. He insisted on leading from the front; as a result he was shot in 1627, a wound that precluded him from wearing heavy armor from then on: this surely proved fatal. At Lützen, on the 16th of November, in deep fog, the king became separated from his troops and was killed by enemy cavalry: his body was only discovered some time later.
Nomos 5, Lot: 58. Estimate CHF8000.
Sweden. Gustavus II Adolphus. 1611–1632. Medal in the weight of 5 1/2 Thalers (Silver, 79mm, 160 g), minted by order of the Swedish government to commemorate the return of the King’s body to Stockholm, by Sebastian Dadler in Danzig (Gdansk), 1634. GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS MAGNUS DEI GRATIA SUECOR:GOTHOR:ET VANDALOR:REX AUGUSTUS At the center, the armored and crowned body of Gustavus Adophus lying in state at the battlefied of Lützen; behind, scene of the battle with the victorious Swedes driving the enemy before them to left, and with an angel accompanying them, bearing a sword with VEL MORTUUM FUGIUNT (even they flee death); above, Hebrew name of Jehovah in a halo of rays and many angels in clouds; at the center, two angels carry the soul of the king to heaven, EUGE SERVE FIDELIS (=well done faithful servant). In the exergue, NATUS 9 DEC:ANNO 1594 / GLORIOSE MORTUUS 6 / NOU:ANO 1632. Rev. DUX GLORIOS PRINC PIUS HEROS INVICT VICTOR INCOMPARAB TRUMPH FELIX & GERM LIBERATOR A 1634 (=Glorious leader, pious prince, invincible hero, incomparable victor, happily triumphant and liberator of Germany. In the year 1634 Gustavus, wearing armor and holding a Bible and a sword, riding in a chariot drawn by three winged horses over the Hydra of Discord; to left, Faith, holding a Bible topped by a flaming heart and, to right, Courage, holding a column, both crowning the king with a laurel wreath; on the chariot wheel, signature SD; above, ET VITA ET MORTE / TRIUMPHO (=I triumph in both life and death). Hildebrand I, p. 192, 188. Maué 35. Wiecek 89. Very rare. A beautifully toned and beautifully preserved example of heavy weight. A few very minor marks, otherwise, virtually as struck.
After his death at the Battle of Lützen on 6 November 1632, the king’s body was first bought to Weissenfels and then, in Spring 1633, to Wolgast on the island of Usedom. Then, in July 1633 the Swedish fleet brought the body back to Sweden, landing on 8 August at Nyköping where the body was kept until the grave monument in the Riddarholskyrka in Stockholm was completed. At the funeral celebrations, which took place on 22 June 1634, these medals were distributed among the participants. Gustaf Adolf den store, the name formally given to him by the Swedish parliament in 1634, was the most important of all Swedish kings and, had he not been killed, the borders between Protestant and Catholic Europe would have surely been quite different, and the Counter-Reformation would have been seriously retarded. Born in 1594, he had led his armies since he became king at 17 and was a charismatic leader with an iron will. He insisted on leading from the front; as a result he was shot in 1627, a wound that precluded him from wearing heavy armor from then on: this surely proved fatal. At Lützen, on the 16th of November, in deep fog, the king became separated from his troops and was killed by enemy cavalry: his body was only discovered some time later.
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Nomos 5, Lot: 3. Estimate CHF50000.
Holy Roman Empire. Maximilian I. 1508-1519. Medal (Silver, 84mm, 127.1 g 12), on the pardon of Franz von Sickingen, 1518. COLE.DEVM.EXIN.PVBLICA.AMA.IVSTVMQVE.TVERE.MDCXVIII Crowned and armored bust of Maximilian I to right, wearing collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece and a richly engraved cuirass, and holding a sword in his right hand and a scepter in his left. Rev. ARMIS MERCVRIVM SI NON PRAEPONAS MAXIME CAESAR SEMPER ERIS VICTOR FAVSTAQVE REGNA TENENS (on a ribbon beginning in the field before Franz von Sickingen’s mouth and continuing around the coin). Franz von Sickingen, bare-headed but in full armor, kneeling to right with a shield bearing his arms below, the letters F.V.S in the field behind him, and holding the end of the ribbon bearing his words; before him to right, the Emperor Maximilian, crowned, in full regalia, holding scepter and globus cruciger, and wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece, seated to left on a throne ornamented with the imperial eagle. Domanig -. Habich I, 25 var. . Extremely rare and important. An original cast with finely worked details; a remarkably impressive example of early 16th century metal work. Unevenly toned, otherwise, extremely fine.
This is actually quite a stupendous medal: it is cast in high relief and the workmanship of the details, cut in after casting, is masterful. The actual maker of the medal is unknown, but the design was probably that of Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473-1531), who was active working on projects for Maximilian I from 1508 through 1519. Franz von Sickingen (1481-1523), who appears seeking pardon from the Emperor on the reverse of this medal, was one of the great characters of the early 16th century. He was a soldier who had served Maximilian I, but after inheriting some extensive estates along the Rhine he began interfering in local affairs. He attacked Worms, Lorraine, Hesse and Metz, ostensibly in support of dissident groups, but primarily for ransoms, and soon came under an imperial ban. This medallion records his successful plea to be released from that ban, on pretense of future good behavior. After Maximilian’s death in 1519 Sickingen continued to create discord, and finally was one of the chief leaders of the Knight’s Revolt of 1522, which was basically a Protestant reaction to the Catholic opponents of Luther. It failed and Sickingen was cornered in his castle of Landstuhl and forced to surrender thanks to the powerful artillery of his enemies, which destroyed his fortifications. He died the day after the surrender. In later times Franz von Sickingen was considered the ‘last knight’ in the tradition of the Middle Ages.
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
And a memorial to a king who died in battle? What could be more fascinating (and a little bit poignant) than that?