Nomos 12

NETHERLANDS, The Dutch Republic. Amsterdamm. Medal (Silver, 57mm, 58.52 g 12), on the Four Days Battle (11-14 June 1666). By Jurriaan Pool (1618-1669), 1666. View of the battle with ships of the line, fire ships and other vessels in a melée of smoke; on a piece of wreckage, G.POOL.FEICT. / I.A.DAM. (=G. Pool made in Amsterdam). Rev. VICTORIA OR.CONFŒD.BELB.SVB AVSP.ARCHIT.MI.RUITER.1666.I.IVNI (=Victory of the United Provinces under the auspices of High Admiral Michael De Ruyter, 1 June 1666) De Godt der goden zet / Den ocean de wet, / Als hooft der amiraelen, / Hy sterkt der Staeten helt, / Die boeit het Britsch gewelt./ Wie kan Godts maght bepaelen. / I.V.V. (=The God of gods set laws to the ocean. As lord of admirals he strengthens the State’s hero, who chains the violence of Britain. Who can limit God’s power?); above, shields bearing the arms of the Seven Provinces. MI, I, pp. 519-520, 165. Van Loon II, pp. 524-526, ii. Rare. A very attractive and detailed medal, lightly toned. Minor marks, otherwise, extremely fine.

This medal commemorates one of the longest sea battles in history, The Four Days Battle, one of the major events of the Second Anglo Dutch War (1665-1667). It went on, in some ways inconclusively, until the British fleet managed to sail away into a fog bank: both sides claimed victory, but the British were definitely bested. In the end, however, the battle had no long term effect. The poem on the reverse was written by Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679), the most prominent Dutch writer of the age.