medal
- Museum number
- 1897,0605.29
- Description
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Silver medal. (whole)
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An armed warrior, bearing the banner of Holland and the shield of England, is seated, left, upon a cannon amidst piles of captured arms and flags, and places his foot on the shield of France. (obverse)
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Four medallions, with portraits of Prince Eugene of Savoy; John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough; General Overkirk and John William Friso, Stadtholder of Friesland, surrounded by ten cartouches, with representations of “The attempt on Scotland miscarried”; “The battle of Oudenarde”; “The attempt on Ath miscarried”; “The action at Wynendake”; “The Schledt passed”; “The action at Leffinghen”; “Bruges retaken”; “Brussels relived"; “Lille taken” and “Ghent retaken” (reverse)
- Production date
- 1708
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 79.000 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Medallic Illustrations 2, published in 1885, states:
Very rare.
Three of the four heroes represented are well known; the fourth is John William Friso, Stadtholder of Friesland, Prince of Orange, and Heir-general of William III. He headed the infantry of the left wing in an impetuous charge at Oudenarde, which cut off the last opening for retreat to the French army. At Lille he very greatly distinguished himself, and afterwards in his successful enterprises against St. Amand and St. Venant. In 1711 he was drowned in passing the Meuse in an open boat, at the age of only twenty-four years. All the events referred to on the reverse of this medal have already been noticed, with the exception of the unsuccessful attempt of the enemy to surprise Ath on the 5/16 October, and their repulse on the 9/20 October from before Leffinghen, where the Allies had posted a strong detachment in order to preserve the communication with Ostend. In the last engagement the enemy were driven out of their trenches with heavy loss and compelled for a time to abandon them. In a renewed attempt on the 14/25 October the French captured Leffinghen and held it till the fall of Ghent, when, like Bruges and Plassendaal, it was hastily evacuated.
See Rapin de Thoyras, Paul, ‘The Metallick History of the Reigns of William III and Queen Mary, Queen Anne, and King George I. [N. Tindal’s edition.], London, 1747, vii. 9; Van Loon, Gerard, ‘Histoire Métallique des XVII. Provinces des Pays-Bas’, 5 vol. La Haye, 1732-1837 (fol) [There is also an edition in Dutch, but with different paging], V. 131.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated events
- Commemoration of: Campaign of 1708
- Acquisition date
- 1897
- Department
- Money and Medals
- Registration number
- 1897,0605.29
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: 633
- C&M catalogue number
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MB2 (Medallic Illustrations 2) (350) (185)