A gold and enamel supporters medal for Gustavus Adolphus (1694-1632), King of Sweden.
German, circa 1631.
Measures 3.8cm high (including bail and baroque pearl) x 1.7cm wide.
The medal is decorated with a three quarter portrait bust of Gustavus Adolphus dressed in full regalia and laurel crown. The portrait is framed by a laurel border.
The reverse of the pendant is decorated in black champlevé enamel with the words ‘ADOLPHUS GUSTAVUS, GOTT MIT UNS’. ‘GOTT MIT UNS’ was commonly used by Sweden in most of its wars and especially as a battle cry during the Thirty Years War, the German battle cry translates as ‘God [is] with us’. A baroque pearl is suspended from a loop at the base of the medal.
Gustavus Adolphus (1694-1632) served as the King of Sweden from 1611 until his death in 1632. He gained fame as a military leader and a defender of the Protestant princes of Northern Europe against the Catholic emperor during a period of intense political and religious conflict. His successful military campaigns posed a significant threat to the delicate balance between Protestant and Catholic powers in Europe.
He achieved a notable victory at the Battle of Lutzen, but lost his life during the fighting. His death led to the production of various commemorative items, such as medals, pendants, necklaces, and even beakers, at different centers in Protestant Germany.
An almost identical example can be found on a chain published in Joyaux Renaissance, Galerie J. Kugel, 2000, catalogue no. 65. Kugel describes the small medal as commemorating the battle of Breitenfeld near Leipzig where Gustavus Adolphus defeated the imperial troops on September 17, 1631.
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