Rare SILVER medal from the Royal Suite series with an image of Sigismund II Augustus, signed with initials I. I. REICHEL F.
Beautifully preserved piece with intense medal mirror.
Detail excellent, no rubbing, only minor bumping on the rim.
The Royal Suite is one of the most desirable and sought-after medal series in Polish numismatics, the medals included in it appear on the auction market extremely rarely and always arouse a lot of excitement.
Onebid has only one listing in SILVER in the last 20 years, and overall we have only reached three listings.
The piece on offer is in the most beautiful state of preservation of all, so far.
Obverse: bust of the king to the right, wearing a hat with a feather, Spanish robe, on the chest an order of gold fleece
SIGISMUNDUS AUGUSTUS (Sigismund Augustus)
Reverse: inscription in fourteen lines: SIGISMUNDI I EX BONA SFORTIA FILIUS UNICUS, VIVENTE PATRE DECENNIS IN REGEM ELECTUS, POST OBITUM PATRIS CURONIAM FEUDALEM REIPUBLICAE FECIT, LITHUANIAM NEXU PERPETUO POLONIAE ADJUNXIT, JAGELLONEAE STIRPIS ULTIMUS POLONIAE REX, ORBUS OBIIT KNISSINII A. D. 1572. AETAT: 52. REG: 24. D. 18. JUL (Sigismund I and Bona Sforza's only son, elected king during his father's lifetime at the age of ten, after his father's death he made Courland a fief of the Polish crown a duchy, united Lithuania with Poland by a perpetual bond, the last king of Poland from the Jagiełło family, died childless in Knyszyn in the year of our Lord 1572, aged 52, having reigned for 24 years, on July 18).
Silver, diameter 45 mm, weight 39.65 g