Medals or coronation tokens

Medals and coronation tokens play an important role in the mint, being a souvenir of important historical events, and are the perfect complement to the Menage of a given ruler. They are also often a decoration of the collection. Jan III Sobieski's coronation medal can be presented with such an ornament. This is the numismat of the highest class and rarity, Raczyński does not describe this variety in the "Polish Medal Office". There he lists three varieties of obverse, but the presented medal has a completely different reverse. It is also significant that Emeryk Hutten-Czapski had one piece of this type in his collections and assessed the rarity of this medal at R5 level, and the versions made in gold only on R2. In addition to the beautiful state of behavior, an additional advantage is the provenance of the coin, which was part of the Potocki collection, which is confirmed by the ownership of Pilawa. The presence of this ownership seal not only confirms the value of numismat, but also connects it with one of the most important Polish aristocratic families and one of the largest Polish numismatic collections.

The obverse is decorated with a royal bust in a coat and laurel wreath on the head. The rim legend is: Ioannes III DG Rex Pol MDL Lit Russ Prus & C (Jan III, from God's grace, the Polish King, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenian, Prussian etc.).

On the reverse, we see an eagle with the Sobieski coat of arms on the chest, which rises towards the sun. The sentence is:

As Raczyński describes in his study; " The Polish eagle on the reverse page of these medals engraved, wearing the coat of arms Janina Sobieski, apparently indicates that under this sign Poland boldly towards the sun, it is to fame, it will rise."

The election of Jan III Sobieski at the King of Poland was one of the most important moments of the 17th-century history of Poland. On May 21, 1674, the nobility gathered in the election field unanimously chose Sobieski as a king. His coronation took place on February 2, 1676 in Wawel. At the time of taking the throne, he took the name Jan III Sobieski. After the turbulent period of wars and internal conflicts, which weakened Rzeczpospolita, Sobieski, already known as an outstanding military commander, gained broad support of the nobility. Thanks to his success on the battlefield and the reputation of the country's defender against the invasions of foreign troops, in particular Turks and Tatars, he became the main candidate for the throne. To this day, the election of Jan III Sobieski remains a symbol of the moment when Poland, despite the problems, was able to unite and choose a man capable of effectively defending the country and strengthening his position on the international arena.

The presented coronation medal is a unique item that recalls the atmosphere of old events and reflects the majesty of the past era. This medal is commemorated not only by the event of the coronation, but also the figure of the king, who with his policy, wisdom and diplomatic talents contributed to strengthening Poland's position on the international arena. He represents a symbolic and material heritage that connects generations, allowing us to return to the time when Poland played a significant role in Europe.

Soon this rare medal may become your property because it will be offered at our upcoming second limited auction. This is a unique opportunity to enrich your collection with an object of such great historical and artistic significance. We cordially invite you to participate in the auction, which will not lack other unique items, carefully selected for the most demanding collectors.