Nomos 12

FRANCE. Louis XIV, 1643–1715. Medal (Silver, 45mm, 42.5 g 12), on the capture of Nijmegen by the French in July 1672, by G. Hamerani, Rome, 1673. LVD.XIV.D.G.FR.ET.NAV.REX Louis XIV, in armor, on horseback before view of the city of Nijmegen and the French army marching through its gate; in exergue, IO.HAMERANVS.FECIT / ROMÆ. Rev. QVIS CONTRA.NOS? Louis, dressed as an antique warrior, standing right, his left foot propped on a hideous female figure (symbolizing the Dutch Republic) brandishing snakes with her right hand, and drawing back a flaming sword in his right hand; to right, rising sun with angels; to left above, figure of the Church in clouds; to left at his feet, the Belgian lion; in the ground below, 1673. Forrer II, p. 403. Van Loon III, p. 87. Very rare. Beautifully toned and most attractive. Good extremely fine.

Ex Künker 247, 13 March 2014, 5127 and Numismatica Genevensis 5, 3 December 2008, 534.

This medal commemorates one of the French victories that occurred early on in the Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678). In fact, Forrer actually suggests that this medal commemorates the massacre of the Huguenots in the Cevennes but this is highly unlikely: the obverse can have nothing to do with the rough landscape of the Cevennes and the lion on the reverse can only refer to the Low Countries. The Cevennes were, in fact, a haven for the Huguenots, and they were oppressed, leading to the revolt of the Camisards in 1702. That revolt came to a final end after the death of Louis XIV in 1715; from then on the Protestants were more or less left in peace.