2019-02-13 Wed

Emporium Hamburg is going to auction a 1684 silver medal in Munich on 2nd March at an estimated value of €450. The medal was struck after the Peace of Westphalia which ended the dreaded religious wars in Europe. The obverse side depicts the city of Munster, two angels with trombone, palm, laurel and olive branch, and the Latin word for “peace”. The reverse side features the sun, two hands holding each other, coming out of clouds, holding an olive branch and two crossed cornucopia; weapons lay on the ground. The 35.95 grams medal has a diameter of 52.5 millimetres.

Habsburgs and their Catholic allies fought against Protestants from Sweden, Denmark, the Dutch, and Holy Roman principalities. France was anti-Habsburg, and hence it was allied to the Protestants even though they were Catholic. The war continued for 30 years from 1618 to 1648 in the Holy Roman Empire. On the other hand, Spain and the Dutch Republic were constantly fighting for 80 years from 1568 to 1648. Towards the end of this war, Spain formally accepted the Dutch Republic as an independent state. The Peace of Westphalia was initiated with the help of three treaties, which finally put an end to both these wars. Many commemorative medals were struck during this period to mark this significant event in European history.

Image Courtesy: Emporium Hamburg