Medals – An Artistic Way Of History
One of the most impressive medals ever minted in the Netherlands is the medal about de Witt brothers from 1672. This medal is an artistic master piece. The iconography of the medal reflects the murder on the brothers the Witt in 1672. The brothers were one of the most important men during their time in the Netherlands. They became victims of a dirty political smear campaign. On august the 20th they were murdered by the local guards after they were lured and locked up in The Hague.
When they were murdered their bodies were dishonoured in horrible ways. They were lynched, torn apart, and hanged up. The crowd took some body parts and did jolly with them. They thought their misery came from the brother the Witt. But it was only demagogues who made the people crazy with lies. On the obverse of the medal you can see the brothers and, on the reverse, you can see how the brothers were lynched by the crowd. The fact that the medallist depicted the crowd as animals leave no doubt how he thought about this situation.
Great Historical Medals
Medals shows us in an artistic way history how it was and how it was interpreted. Many great medals can be found on MA-Shops, for every wallet. I hope this blog will stimulate you to look more after medals. They most of the time rarer than coins in the same price category and they tell more about a small time period in history.
The Netherlands 1672 – Johan and Cornelis de Witt The Hague
4,325.00 US$
This medal commemorates the brutal murders of the de Witt brothers, in The Hague, on August 20 1672 by a well organised mob. Johan de Witt, a lawyer and active republican politician, was elected to the important position of Councilor Pensionary of Holland in 1653, at a time when the fortunes of the country were at a low ebb, with financial problems so acute that the country was on the brink of bankruptcy. He proved himself to be a statesman of great ability, and his success in both domestic and foreign affairs was instrumental in bringing the United Provinces to a peak of prosperity and strength. Under his guidance Holland signed the Treaty of Breda (1667) and formed the Triple Alliance (1668) of Holland, England, and Sweden against France.
Two decades of rule, however, made many enemies for de Witt. In particular his Act of Seclusion (1654) which blocked the election of a Stadtholder, created a fierce opposition party led by William of Orange. Military defeat by the French turned popular opinion against de Witt. In 1672, while Johan was visiting his brother who was in prison on trumped up political charges, a mob, which included respectable citizens and Civic Guards, beat the two brothers to death, mutilated their bodies, and hung them up for public view. William of Orange was duly elected Stadtholder, and eventually became King William III of England.
Medal An XV Vatican Pie VI
7,850.00 US$
Weight: 17.27 g
Jesus washing the feet of St. Peter, Year XV
Medal 1933 Egypt Fouad I
8,985.00 US$
Weight: 103.10 g
Diameter: 60.00 mm
Industry and Manufacturing, Tourah, Visit by King Fouad I, Silver Medal, 1933, by Huguenin, view of the factories at Tourah. Rare
Medal 1804 France Napoleon I Coronation
5,199,00 US$
Weight: 14.83 g.
Diameter: 26 mm.
Catalog: Bramsen-328.
Obverse: by Denon and Droz
Reverse: by Denon and Galle. A pleasing example of this celebrated coronation issue.
Commemorative medal 1587 Spanish Netherlands on Queen Elizabeth’s I
6,450.00 US$
Catalog: Eimer 53. MI I
Material: Silver
Weight: 45.48 g
Diameter: 52.00 mm
This medal commemorates the Dutch request that Queen Elizabeth provide active help in the revolt against Spain. She ultimately provided a force led by Robert Dudley, one of her closest associates (he was often thought as the possible consort). In the end, the expedition proved a failure (source: Nomos)
Medal 1764 Frankfurt, Imperial City
2,975.00 US$
Catalog: Joseph / Fellner 843
Silver medal 1764, on the coronation of Joseph II to the Roman king.
Obverse: Bust with crown on the right
Reverse: Coronation ceremony in Frankfurt Cathedral.
Edge engraving “Anna Kundrat February 3, 1813”.
Written by Joël van Dam, Owner of Joëlnumismatics.
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