"Murder of the de Witt Brothers" silver Medal ND (1672) MS62 PCGS, Van Loon III 87.2 var (French ed. 81.2 var), Saunders/Vanhoudt 1672.42 var. By J. van Rickingen. Egyptian king Sesostris holding scepter, seated in chariot pulled by four defeated kings to right. The two hanging corpses of the murdered brothers above. IAN EN CORNELIS DE WIT IN DEN HAEG GEDOOT EN MISHANDELT; in exergue IN WEELDEN SIET TOE / ALLES MET BEDACHT // WIE OP'T GHELUCK TEVEELE STEUNT / HEEFT OP'T KRANCKENRIET GELEUNT / TIS WANCKEL, RONDT EN SLIBBER GLADT, HET DRAEYT EN KEERT GELYCK EEN RADT / DUS NIMANT STEL SYN HOOP TESEER / OPS WEERELT STAET OP MACHT EN EER. Erudite medal commemorating the Murder of the de Witt Brothers with commentaries on wealth and chance in the legends. Extremely rare. On August 20, 1672, Johan de Witt, the Grand Pensionary of Holland, and his brother Cornelis were murdered by a mob in The Hague near the Gevangenpoort, where Cornelis had been imprisoned on false charges of treason. Amidst the chaos of the "Rampjaar" (Disaster Year), in which the Dutch Republic faced simultaneous invasions by France, England, and others, the brothers were scapegoated for military failures and the decline of the republic's defense. Their deaths, encouraged by Orangist factions loyal to William of Orange, marked the collapse of the Dutch republican regime and the resurgence of monarchical power. HID09801242017 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

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