Netherlands / Russia Silver Medal 1839 Visit of the Future Tsar Alexander II - Piedfort(?) - By Schouberg

Netherlands, Zaandam. Silver Medal 1839 – Visit of the Future Tsar Alexander II – J.P. Schouberg

Beschrijving:

Silver medal commemorating the visit of Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich, the future Tsar Alexander II of Russia, to the Tsar Peter House in Zaandam on 17 April 1839. Design by Gerrit van Orden, dies by Johannis Petrus Schouberg.

Obverse: View of the Tsar Peter House, with a tree and wooden fence. Legend: NIL MAGNO VIRO INDIGNVM — “Nothing is unworthy of a great man.” Below, G.V.O. INV. and I.P. SCHOUBERG F., with the date MDCXCVII (1697), referring to Peter the Great’s stay in Zaandam.

Reverse: The arms of Zaandam supported by a crowned lion holding a sword, above a Latin inscription within a wreath of willow and forget-me-nots. The inscription commemorates Alexander’s visit to the house of his ancestor Peter. The date 5/17 April follows the Julian and Gregorian calendars respectively.

Gerrit van Orden arranged the issue, with inscriptions composed by the numismatist Pieter Otto van der Chijs. In his account of 1854, Van der Chijs records that Van Orden also presented a gold example to Alexander at his own expense.

An unusually heavy silver example of this historical medal. The designation “piedfort” is not assigned.

Type references: Dirks 548; Diakov 557.1.
Museum comparison: Rijksmuseum, inventory NG-VG-1-3827.

Silver. Weight: 46.05 g. Diameter: 45 mm. Edge thickness: 3.4 mm.

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