Watch List notes:

POLAND. Krakow. Three Commissioners Gold Medal, 1833. PCGS Genuine--Tooled, Unc Details.
Cf. HCz-3673 (unlisted in gold). Weight: 104.70 grams. By J.D. Boehm, an engraver at the Vienna (Austria) Mint. Obverse: Conjoined busts of the commissioners of Krakow. Reverse: Open book inscribed MAGNA CHARTA on a background of rays radiating over the city arms. Deeply reflective fields from freshly polished dies; the reliefs somewhat frosted, creating a bold contrast. A few old scuffs account for PCGS's descriptor of "tooled". The overall visual effect is quite bold.

In 1833, a group of Polish activists attempted to incite an uprising in the city of Krakow. Ultimately unsuccessful, this move was undoubtedly inspired by the so-called November Uprising that took place several years earlier in Warsaw. That insurrection began in late November of 1830, when a group of young Polish officers led by Piotr Wysocki were soon joined by like-minded compatriots from Lithuania, Belarus, and right-bank Ukraine. Their chief objection was to the Partitions of Poland, which had taken place during the late 18th century after ongoing Russo-Polish conflicts, and effectively abolished the official state of Poland. It was partitioned into three areas controlled by the Austrian Hapsburg monarchy, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Russian Empire respectively, and was codified by the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15. The movement enjoyed some initial local successes, but by 1831 the Russian advance on Warsaw was unstoppable. On October 5, 1831, what was left of the Polish army laid down their arms at Brodnica, ending an 8-month long war.

The defeat of the November Uprising resulted in an even further loss of autonomy for what remained of Polish self-governance. The 1833 attempt in Krakow grew out of the same frustrations and desire to break free from Russian rule, but it failed to gain any momentum and was over before it truly began. After the November Uprising, Tsar Nicholas I commanded the formation of a committee to investigate the participants of the November Uprising. The official committee title, a mouthful by any measure, was "The Kiev Governorship Commission to Investigate Cases of the Participants of the Revolt and for Meting out Sentences with Regard to Landed Property Subject to Sequestration and Confiscation." In short order, committees of these types were present throughout the provinces.

The medal offered here depicts the three commissioners of Krakow-Wilhelm Pfluegl of Austria, August von Forckenbeck of Prussia, and Ludwig Tengoborski of Russia-sent to Krakow in 1833 with the aim of reorganizing its government and tightening imperial control over it. It is unlisted in gold, and possibly unique in this metal.

An important piece from the historical perspective and visually very impressive medal that is of the UTMOST RARITY, and likely unique in gold. We have been able to locate a couple of bronze examples that were sold in various auctions, however those listings do not even mention the issuance of this medal in gold (nor does the Hutton Czapski reference list this medal in any composition other than bronze), and it is quite likely that this medal was originally awarded to one of the three commissioners portrayed on the obverse of this large medal. Its exact provenance is unknown, but it is a beautiful representative of a tumultuous period in Polish history.

Our consignors' grandfather brought this medal with him when he emigrated to the United States from Krakow, Poland following World War Two and his surviving the Holocaust, and it has been kept as a family heirloom ever since.

Estimate: €50000 - €60000