Nomos 12

NETHERLANDS, The Dutch Republic. Amsterdam. 1655. Medal (Silver, 71mm, 97.16 g 12), on the dedication of the new City Hall of Amsterdam, by J. Pool. (arms of Amsterdam) FUIT HAEC SAPIENTIA QUONDAM (=in the past this was the wisdom there, from Horace, Ars Poetica, V. 396) View of the new City Hall of Amsterdam, with the Nieuwe Kerk to the right; in front, in the Dam Square, a large crowd is celebrating the inauguration of the building; in the foreground, Amphion seated right in the ruins of the old City Hall, playing his lyre, and with his feet resting on a fallen column capital bearing the initials of the engraver, G P; on a block next to the column capital, HVIDECOPER / GRAEF. / POLL. / SPIEGEL.COSS. / AED.TVLP.DRONKEL. (the names of the four burgomasters and the two treasurers for 1655) and, to right in the field above the buildings, Mercury flying left holding a caduceus in his right hand and, in his left, a liberty hat inscribed OMNIBUS IDEM (=the same for all, Virgil, Aeneid, 10:11). Rev. PELAGUS QUANTOS APERIMUS IN USUS (=for such great usages we open the sea) View of the Argo, depicted as a sailing galley loaded with soldiers, sailing to right before the harbor of Amsterdam. Forrer IV, p. 667. Van Loon II, p. 387-8, ii. A clear and bright example. Minor scratches and marks, otherwise, about extremely fine.