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August III of Poland, Groskurt's coronation medal 1734 - RARE

AU
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Lot description Show orginal version
Grade: AU
Reference: Raczyński 370, Hutten-Czapski 2751 (R2)

A rare and extremely impressive coronation medal by H. P. Groskurt from 1734, signed below the bust.

The coronation of August III as King of Poland took place in Wawel Cathedral, and an excellent representation of this scene, with attention to the smallest detail, we can admire on the reverse of the presented item.

A wonderful immortalization of those events and a large dose of historical message.

A beautifully preserved piece with a medal mirror in a subtle patina.


Obverse: bust of Augustus III to the right, with long, loose hair, wearing armor with a cloak cinched at the shoulder, under the bust signature A. P. GROSKVRT.

D G AVGVSTVS III REZ POL M D LITH D SAX EL (By God's Grace August III King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Prince Elector of Saxony).

Reverse: coronation scene, where a prince kneeling before the altar is placed on his head by a bishop, in the presence of two other bishops and many people dressed in typically Polish robes, in the section ELECT V OCT MDCCXXXIII CORONATIS XVI JAN MDCCXXXIV (Elected October 5, 1933. Crowned January 16, 1734)

CONCORDIBUS LIBERAE GENTIS SUFFRGIIS (by the concurring votes of a free people).


Silver, 55 mm diameter, 58.24 g


In the "Cabinet of Polish Medals" by Edward Raczynski, the following description appears next to this item: "We have collected in this article all medals (No. 370 - 374), minted because of the election and coronation of August III, King of Poland.

This subject, we should take a closer look at here. The Convocation Sejm, convened after the death of August II, was extremely tumultuous, particularly because of the general resentment then prevailing against such wealthy dissidents or dissenters, whom the Diet unanimously declared unfit to hold office in the country, with the addition that they should not dare to seek support from foreign courts. This stipulation, which was in accordance with the rules of prudent politics, seemed a pity and a nuisance in a country where for almost two centuries every political party, when it felt weaker, sought support from foreign powers.

As for the election itself, the states had pledged by oath not to elect as king only a native Pole, a Catholic, and one who had neither an army nor hereditary countries beyond the borders of the republic.

This was an obvious or covered exclusion from the throne of the Elector of Saxony, son of August II, who was the only one among the contenders for the Polish crown in this category.

The elector, offended by this act, went to other powers to gain the Polish crown.

Emperor Charles VI promised him his help, insofar as it would not oppose the freedoms of the Polish people. Not so moderate, or rather not so hypocritical, was Anna Empress of Russia, who promised to support the Elector's request with her army.

On the other hand Louis VI, king of France, recommended his father-in-law Stanislaw Leszczynski to the throne, whose side he promised to support with arms. But the promises of France were an illusion, and her help was too distant against the Moscow army, which had already entered the borders of Poland.

A manifesto issued at the time by the Russian commander declared that Empress Anna opposed the election of Stanislaw Leszczynski, in the spirit of the treaty concluded between the Republic and Peter I in 1716 and 1717, by virtue of which Stanislaw was forever removed from the Polish throne, besides which General Lascy proclaimed that he entered the borders of the Republic for no other purpose, but to preserve its freedom.

The Poles themselves gave a reason for the deceitfulness of this statement, for when shortly before the death of Augustus II the news was spread that the king intended to distribute certain offices against the law; the Primate and some other lords wrote to the Russian Empress and the German Emperor, asking their support against the alleged appropriation of the court.

The uncommonness of the Poles, an incurable disease of this nation, made it easier for outsiders to bring to fruition their disastrous intentions for our country. The sejmiks were incompatible with each other, some insisted on the rules adopted at the Convocation Sejm, while others did not want to accept its laws. In the midst of this division of minds the Electoral Sejm began in Warsaw on August 25, 1733.

The unevenly larger number of deputies favored the French side. There was, however, an opposition, which fearing the influence of Russia and the German emperor, declared itself in favor of the Saxon Elector. Supporters of this prince, among them Prince Wisniowiecki, sub-chancellor of Lithuania, Jan Lipski, bishop of Cracow, Stanislaw Hozyusz, bishop of Poznan, Antoni Poninski, instigator of the Crown, and several others, carried the opposition against the actions of the Sejm and moved to Prague.

On September 9 King Stanislaw arrived in Warsaw, who disguised as a merchant, under a foreign name, made his journey from France to Poland.

On September 11 the Primate toured the provinces and collected votes, the majority of which were immeasurably in favor of Stanislaw. Although it was demanded that before the announcement of the new king the opposing party, gathered in Prague, be summoned to unite with the majority of the nation, but the zeal of Stanislaw's supporters did not allow this formality to be fulfilled. Overcome by the insistence of Stanislaw Leszczynski's staunch supporters, the Primate proclaimed him king around noon on September 12, 1733.

He swore a pacta conventa to the new monarch on September 21, but with the approach of Moscow troops, not feeling safe in Warsaw, he went to Gdansk.

After his departure, the supporters of the House of Saxony, who numbered barely one hundredth of the voters gathered near Warsaw, gathered near the village of Kamień nad Wisłą, where Henry Valois had once been called to the throne, and there, under the cover of the Russian army, the Elector of Saxony, on October 5, proclaimed him king.

His coronation took place on January 17, 1734.

What has been said here proves that it was not free choice, but the weapon of a foreign soldier that put August III on the Polish throne.

The effects of this influence of foreign powers soon showed themselves in our country, when Russian and Austrian ministers, when Russian and Saxon commanders sat in the secret council of the Polish king and wrote laws for the nation. This is evidenced by the minutes of the meetings of the secret council of the king, held in the months of July and August of the year 1734 soon after the capture of the city of Danzig by the Russian army, and when no European power except Austria and Russia had yet recognized August III as king of Poland."


Auction
X Jubilee Auction at the Monopol Hotel
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Date
01 October 2022 CEST/Warsaw
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Start price
1 277 EUR
Grade
AU
Hammer price
1 836 EUR
Overbid
144%
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Salon Numizmatyczny Mateusz Wójcicki

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