Nomos 13

Netherlands, The Dutch Republic. Medal (Silver, 56mm, 36.96 g 12), on the siege of Groningen, by. M.H.S, 1672. View of the besieged city of Groningen with bombs soaring above and the besieging troops and their fortifications below; above, tiny collector’s mark in the form of a monogram of HL. Rev. SIT SUMMA GLORIA DEO, NEC NON HONOS DOIS, CIVIB, MILITIÆ (=Let the greatest glory be to God, but also honor to the magistrates, citizens and the army) Inscription of ten lines: ANNO / CIƆ IƆ CLXXII / GRONINGA / AB EPISC. COLON.ET / MONAST.IX IUL. / FORTITER OBSESSA / DURITER OPPUGNATA / XVII AUG. TURPITER DESERTA / M.H.S. (=in 1672 Groningen was strongly besieged and furiously attacked on 9 July by the bishops of Cologne and Münster, who abandoned the siege in shame on 17 August). TMNK 00814. Van Loon III, p. 94, iv. Weiller 36. A splendid toned example. Tiny countermark on the obverse, otherwise, extremely fine.

Ex Peus 407, 7 November 2012, 1651 (but countermark unnoted).

This medal, and those that follow it, commemorates one of the Dutch victories during the first year of the Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678): the so-called ‘Disaster Year’ A force led by the Bishops of Cologne, Maximilan Heinrich von Bayern and of Münster, Bernhard von Galen, laid siege to Groningen. Despite a very heavy bombardment (which led to bishop von Galen gaining the nickname “Bommen Berend” [Bernie Bombs] among the Dutch, the city held out and the siege was broken.