1668 Holstein-Gottorp Wedding Medal

Zohar · September 3, 2012 11:05AM

I saw this one float on ebay over the holiday weekend and ended up pursuing and paying a heftier amount. Clearly I did it the wrong way of buying first without proper research yet this is probably not the last time. Took this medal for one reason - the beautifuly captured scene on both obverse and reverse showing the artist's effort to capture the bond and intimacy (and near kiss) between bride and groom (Holstein-Gottorp Royal Wedding Medal) . Such intimate scene doesn't often show in such 17th century material. While bidding I could not do any research on the piece/price as I simply could not find any similar sale record.

Medal doesn't have a date or anything that identifies the couple/event (at least from a first glance). From WIKI below, the closest wedding date for the Royal family was 24 October 1667 when Christian Albert married Princess Frederica Amalia of Denmark, daughter of King Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. LINK from WIKIPEDIA

Any help in helping identify this medal is appreciated - what are the Lange numbers (Lange-366)? Also, were these made in limited quantities to commemorate the event and handed out to family/friends at the time?

Thanks in advance.

bronzemat · September 3, 2012 11:47AM

Very intricate & pretty. Nice addition!

harasha · September 3, 2012 11:55AM

Freakin' Zohar did it again!

I sometimes have luck by Googling the legend.

Zohar · September 3, 2012 12:06PM

Ira - thanks. Seems that it is in Danish. Back then it seems that marriages were arranged with Swedes/Danes. It matches the date. Will get to it.

Zohar · September 4, 2012 3:31AM

Help anyone on the ID issue?

JCMhouston · September 4, 2012 4:18AM

Very nice addition, but I don't have any info on it.

960Coins · September 4, 2012 6:03AM

Spending a few minutes looking around, the best I've got so far is:

According to the curator of the Danish Royal Mint, Georg Galster, the book "Danske og norske Medailler og Jetons ca. 1533-ca. 1788", Copenhagen, 1936:
From Frederick III of Denmark, Galster number 88.
source: http://www.danskmoent.dk/galster/medindskr.htm

Most likely engraved by Jeremias Hercules (IH)
http://www.danskmoent.dk/galster/med060.htm

According to the book "Acquisitions of medals (1978-1982)", British Museum. Dept. of Coins and Medals, Mark Jones, 1985. page 26:
Marriage of Fredericke Amalie to Christian Albert of Holstein, 1667. silver, 56mm, Northumberland, no.25
source: http://books.google.com/books?ei=lVtGUJmpLPCu2AX5goCoDg&id=XT5mAAAAMAAJ&dq=&q=Fredericke+Amalie#search_anchor

As for "Lange"? Konrad Lange was an Austrian medallist in the 1840s-50s... beyond that I don't know yet.

STLNATS · September 4, 2012 8:11AM

Its a pretty thing, no matter what it is exactly!

Congrats on another great pickup.

Zohar · September 4, 2012 8:25AM

960Coins - thanks for this let me see if I can dig up more.

worldcoinguy · September 5, 2012 7:47AM

Great pickup Zohar; I was tracking both from that seller also. I love the detail on it.

lordmarcovan · September 5, 2012 12:47PM

Wow, that's awesome. I love the smoochy couple, the smoochy birds, and those intricate, chained-together trees.

On a much more modest note, Zohar, your giveaway "supprise package" winnings shipped today.

PS- I also find the use of lowercase letters on there interesting. I haven't seen that done so much in that period.