Watch List notes:

France, Louis XIV, The Laying of the Foundation Stone of the Val-de-Grâce (1645), uniface bronze medal by Jean Warin (1606-72), the front elevation of the building as planned by François Mansart; OB GRATIAM DIV DESIDERATI REGII ET SECVNDI PARTVS – QVINTO CAL SEPT 1638 (In thanks for the longed-for and happy birth of the king – 5 September 1638), 96mm (cf. Jones 208; Scher, Currency of Fame 154), extremely fine contemporary cast with original suspension loop, brown patina The medal is usually accompanied by an obverse depicting Anne of Austria holding in her arms her seven-year-old son Louis XIV, both of whom were present at the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone.

Estimate: 700 - 1000 GBP