Medal by Filip Holzhaeusser designed by S. G. Zug, minted on the occasion of the beginning of the construction of the Evangelical Augsburg Church in Warsaw 1778.
Original, first minting in silver. Very rare. The only similar listing is the 19th WCN Auction of 1999 with a very high final price for those years (1595 zlotys). In the last two decades, only quotations in gold and bronze prints are known.
Details well preserved, the background with natural bruises and cuts, but with a beautiful medal mirror. Old patina.
An item for the best collections of Polish medals.
Obverse: church of the Protestant Augsburg Confession in Warsaw from the front, with dome and cross, on the last step S.G.ZUCK INVENT. I.P.HOLZHAEUSSER F., in the section DIE XXIIII.APRILIS A.D.MDCCLXXVII. S A R XIII
QUICUNQUE ORAVERIT IN LOCO ISTO EXAUDI
Reverse: inscription in nine lines
HAS AEDES DEO T O M SACRAS, COETUS VARSAVIENS AUGUST CONFESSIONIS ES CONSENSU STANISL AUG REGIS ET REIPUBLICAE STRUERE COEPIT
Silver, diameter 52 mm, weight 72.01 g
Edward Raczynski writes about this item as follows: "In 1777, on April 24, when the construction of the first Protestant church in Warsaw (e) began, the superiors of this religion made an effort to mint a medal, which in 1778, on May 4, at the laying of the cornerstone for the altar, was solemnly placed there, along with the then money, and the following inscription engraved on a copper plate.... Withthis keel of minted medals in gold were offered one piece each to the Russian empress, the Polish, English, Swedish, Danish and Prussian kings. Other medals were not produced in large numbers, as the keel broke down quickly, and the shape of the dome was changed, and on top of it, instead of a cornice and a sphere, a lantern was erected, so that it would give more light."
