The Thirty Years’ War from 1618 to 1648 and the Treaty of Westphalia that ended it and paved the way for peace are rich in numismatic history.

On Sept. 23, Osnabrück, Germany-based auctioneer Künker offers a collection of pieces from this period, dubbed “Minted History of the Thirty Years’ War and the Peace of Westphalia — the collection of a German manufacturing and history enthusiast.”

This auction, the firm’s 410th, offers 436 lots of coins and medals from this period, in one of the best such collections, according to the firm.

One highlight from the collection is the 1636 silver medal offered as lot 49. This masterpiece by the talented die cutter Sebastian Dadler is a tribute to the Polish king Vladislav IV.

The medal celebrates the Polish victory over the Russians at Smolensk, the peace between Poland and Turkey, as well as to the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf between Poland and Turkey and Sweden.

Design details

The obverse of the medal depicts Polish King Vladislav IV and his entourage receiving the Russian envoys kneeling on the ground, while in the background are troops and the cityscape of Smolensk.

The reverse shows the Polish king on horseback with his army, being crowned with a wreath by a winged putti (a figure in art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked) descending from the clouds, as the king receives envoys of Sweden and Turkey carrying palm branches.

The medal measures 79.78 millimeters in diameter and weighs 175.21 grams.

This example was previously sold in Künker’s auction No. 289 in March 2017, where it realized a hammer price of €24,000.

The auction house grades the medal Extremely Fine and has assigned a pre-sale estimate of €10,000 ($11,106 U.S.).

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