European Medals from 1513 to 1788
Holy Roman Empire, Austria - Styria (Steiermark). Graz . Medal (Silver, 40.5mm, 16.63 g 12), in honor of Stephan Speidel zu Vattersdorf (c. 1550-1597), secretary of the province of Styria, attributed to Hans Zwigott (fl. c. 1577-1597), c. 1590s. STEPHAN. SPEIDEL.ILLVSTRIVM.STYRIAE.PROCERVM.SECRETARIVS. Three-quarter facing bust of Speidel turned slightly to right, rearing ruff, robes and chain of office. Rev. Shield bearing the Speidel arms surmounted by a helmet with a richly ornamented crest. Numisma­tische Zeitschrift 52 (1919), p. 168, 4. G. Probszt, Die geprägten österreichischen Schaumünzen. I: Die geprägten Schaumünzen Inneröster­reichs (Steiermark, Kärnten, Krain). (Zürich/Leipzig/ Wien, 1928), 73. Very rare and attractive, an excellent contemporary cast. Nicely toned, extremely fine. Ex Nomos 5, 25 October 2011, 47 and O. Helbing, 28 June 1920, 2051. This is a medal about which little is known. Speidel was born somewhat after 1550 in Weil and was studying in Tübingen in 1571. He then rose to be secretary of the province of Styria in Graz by 1583, married in 1587, and was a delegate to the Reichstag of 1594 in Regensburg; he died in Rosegg, Carinthia, in 1597. As for the putative engraver, Hans Zwigott, we know he was a goldsmith, mintmaster and die engraver in Graz; and from this medal we can see he was a highly talented one.