Watch List notes:

European Medals from 1513 to 1788

Netherlands, The Dutch Republic. Plaquettepenning (Silver, 81mm, 95.82 g 12), in commemoration of William the Silent and the four great Dutch admirals, by Wouter Muller, 1655. DIE OVDEN WILLEM, VORST VAN NASSAV EN ORANGIEN, DIE WAS DER STAATEN ARM, EN GESSELROE VAN SPANIEN (=Old William, Prince of Nassau and Orange, he was the arm of the state, and the plague to the Spanish) Bare-headed and cuirassed bust of William facing, turned slightly to the right; fields very carefully stippled. Rev. RIDDER MARTEN HARPERTSEN TROMP, PIETER PIETERSEN HEYN, IACOB HEEMSKERCK, IAN VAN GALEN The four Dutch admirals, Tromp, Heyn, Heemskerck and van Galen, seated around a table within a columned hall; within the intercolumniations, four swords. Frederiks 5/5b. TMNK 00620. Van Loon II, p. 360. A particularly impressive and attractive piece. Extremely fine.

During the mid 17th century a number of Dutch silversmith/medalists, of whom Muller, Lutma and Abeele were the best known, specialized in the making of medals that were hollow. They were formed by two embossed one-sided silver plates, joined together with an edge ring (which was pierced to avoid the medal exploding when it was heated to solder it together), and with the intervening space often filled with a material intended as a stiffener. This allowed these Dutch artists to produce medals of high relief and great beauty.