Lot 1731
1731
Admiral de Suffren, 1784, large copper medal, by I.R. Schipp,, head of a Frisian maid left, crowned with a small coronet and wearing an ornament on her forehead in the shape of an elephant's head with the trunk raised, symbolising Africa and the East, below an ancient rudder and a laurel branch, with a dolphin and the monogram V.O.C. on the rudder, SOCIETAS. INDICANA. ORIENTALIS. FOED. BELG, signed below, rev. within a laurel wreath, INCLYTO VIRO D. SVFFREN REGIS GALLIAE ARCHI THALASSO FORTISSIMO OB. COLONIAS DEFENSAS ET SERVATAS MDCCLXXXIV, in 8 lines, within wreath, 83.5mm. (MH.167;Van Loon 607), a very desirable piece, extremely fine, extremely rare, one of three struck
Admiral de Suffren, 1784, large copper medal, by I.R. Schipp,, head of a Frisian maid left, crowned with a small coronet and wearing an ornament on her forehead in the shape of an elephant's head with the trunk raised, symbolising Africa and the East, below an ancient rudder and a laurel branch, with a dolphin and the monogram V.O.C. on the rudder, SOCIETAS. INDICANA. ORIENTALIS. FOED. BELG, signed below, rev. within a laurel wreath, INCLYTO VIRO D. SVFFREN REGIS GALLIAE ARCHI THALASSO FORTISSIMO OB. COLONIAS DEFENSAS ET SERVATAS MDCCLXXXIV, in 8 lines, within wreath, 83.5mm. (MH.167;Van Loon 607), a very desirable piece, extremely fine, extremely rare, one of three struck

Details
Admiral de Suffren, 1784, large copper medal, by I.R. Schipp,, head of a Frisian maid left, crowned with a small coronet and wearing an ornament on her forehead in the shape of an elephant's head with the trunk raised, symbolising Africa and the East, below an ancient rudder and a laurel branch, with a dolphin and the monogram V.O.C. on the rudder, SOCIETAS. INDICANA. ORIENTALIS. FOED. BELG, signed below, rev. within a laurel wreath, INCLYTO VIRO D. SVFFREN REGIS GALLIAE ARCHI THALASSO FORTISSIMO OB. COLONIAS DEFENSAS ET SERVATAS MDCCLXXXIV, in 8 lines, within wreath, 83.5mm. (MH.167;Van Loon 607), a very desirable piece, extremely fine, extremely rare, one of three struck

Lot Essay

Milford Haven states "Loon says "In 1845 Dr. Halbertsma published a letter from Francis Hemsterhuis to Peter van Damine (a famous Numismatist) dated 8 April 1785, in which the following passage occurs: "There is a medal struck by the East India Company for M. de Suffren. Of this one was struck in gold for that gentleman, three in silver for His Highness (the Stadtholder) and the Company, and three in bronze for me. The dies, which I have still by me, were broken at the time. One of the large bronze ones I will pay to UWE. (not clear what is meant) by the first opportunity. At the third bronze the die began to bend, which is the reason why these medals are so rare.""

In the "Memoires de la Societe des Antiquaires de Picardie," T. II, p.54, mention is made of a note sent with a drawing of this medal, by Baron de Westreenden de Jielandt to M. de Clermont-Tonnerre, in the following words: "Cette note explique a quelle occasion la medaille fut frappee et comment M. de Westreenden se trouve ajour d'hui propietaire de deux seuls exemplaires en bronze qui en aient ete tirees."

Loon says in connection with this in 1865 that presumably these two unique bronze medals are still preserved in the "Museum Meermans-Westreenianum." Of the three silver medals, one is in the Royal Collection (Hague), one in possession of the family of Nederburgh, the third was sold in 1854.

Illustrated on the back cover of the catalogue.