GUSTAVUS II ADOLPHUS: VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF 
          BREITENFELD          
(Champion of the Protestant Faith)

DADLER, Sebastian: Sweden, 1632, Silver, 57 mm
Obv: Bust of Gustavus in an ornate baroque robe (r) GUST:[avus] ADOLPH[us] D.[ei] G.[ratia] SUEC:[orum] GOT:[horum] VA[n]D:[alorumque] R:[ex] M:[agnus] PRI[n]C[eps] FI[n]LA[n]D:[iae] DUX E[s]THO:[niae] ET CARELIAE. I[n]GRIAE D.[ominus] [Gustavus Adolphus, by the Grace of God, King of the Swedes, Goten and Vandalen, Prince of Finland, Duke of Estland (Esthonia), and Ingermanland (Ingria)]
Rev: Victorious warrior (Gustavus) in Roman armor, holding shield and sword, trampling on monsters which symbolize the defeated enemy. In the background: two radiant solar shields MILES EGO CHRISTI, CHR[ist]O DUCE, STERNO TYRANNOS, HAERETICOS SIMUL ET CALCO MEIS PEDIBUS. PARCERE CHRISTICOLIS, ME DEBELLARE FEROCES PAPICOLAS, CHRIST[us] DUX ME[us] EN ANIMAT. (As a Soldier for Christ, under the Guidance of Christ, I Massacre the Tyrants and at the Same Time Trample the Rebellious Heretics with My Feet to Save the Admirers of Christ. I Wage War on the Admirers of the Pope. Christ, My Leader Give Me Courage).
Signed: SD
Ref: Wiecek 79; Hildebrand 58; Goppel 128

Gustavus II Adolphus (1594-1632), King of Sweden, was the eldest son of Charles IX and Christina, daughter of Adolphus, duke of Holstein-Gottorp. He was raised as a devout Protestant and throughout his life fought many battles in defense of the faith. Although he considered his fellow Protestants in Germany as God's people, and himself as their divinely appointed deliverer, his first allegiance was to Sweden. Accordingly, he entered the Thirty Years' War in order to prevent the emperor's imperial forces, led by Count Johann von Tilly, general of the Catholic League, and Albrecht von Wallenstein, commander of all the armies of the Holy Roman Empire, from acquiring Baltic ports and building up a sea-power dangerous to Scandinavia. An historic battle took place at Breitenfeld in 1631 where, despite getting little help from his Saxon ally, Gustavus, as the head of the Swedish-Saxon forces, routed Tilly's army. The following year another battle took place between Gustavus and the imperial army at Lutzen; here, although the Swedish army defeated the imperial army, Gustavus was killed. This medal was created for the Saxon court, perhaps to commemorate the death of the Swedish King, which occurred in 1632, following the victory of the Swedish forces at the Battle of Lutzen.

For more on the Thirty Years' War, see Link to World History by Alexander Ganse.

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