The Battle of the Four Days

The Battle of the Four Days, naval action with the Dutch, 1666, silver medal of the city of Amsterdam, a Roman general with Belgic lion stands before a cityscape, Manhafticheyt beschermt het land …, rev., legend, in form of a poem, and date, in thirteen lines, Toen Munster week en Carels kielen vloon, liet Vander Wey dees silvre stempel smade …, 46mm (MI 520/166; vL II, 524; MH 573). Extremely fine and rare.

The medal, which also commemorates the peace concluded with the Bishop of Münster, was struck at the expense of Van der Wey for presentation to members of the 3rd Company of the Town Guard. The obverse legend is in two rhyming sentences and the reverse continues in the form of a poem.

Provenance: Schulman Auction, 8 November, 2008 (lot 922).