VICTORIES OF PRINCE MAURICE OF SAXONY, MARSHAL OF FRANCE

DASSIER, Jean and Jacques-Antoine: France, 1747, Bronze, 54 mm
Obv: Bust (r)    MAURITIUS SAXO GALL. MARESC. D. CURL. ET SEM.
Rev: Victory, seated amid piles of trophies, writing on oval plaque    BELGI. GALL. PROPUG. AUSTR. CAPT. FOED. VICT. (Belgium and France Fighting Austria Obtained a Joint Victory)
Exergue:  NUM. SIGN. A. MDCCXLVII KAL. DECEM. [Medal Struck in the Year 1747 on Kalendae (First Day of the Roman Month) of December]
Signed:  I.D. ET FILS F.
Ref: Molinari 88/336;  Europese Penningen # 2124;  Weiss BW033

Hermann Maurice, Comte de Saxe (Maurice, Count of Saxony) (Moritz von Sachsen) (1696-1750), French marshal, was one of the greatest military commanders of the eighteenth century.  He was the illegitimate son of Augustus II (The Strong) of Poland.  Saxe served with distinction against the Poles in the War of the Polish Succession and later in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748). He won a spectacular victory over the Austrians at the Battle of Fontenoy.  Further victories secured French control of the Austrian Netherlands.  In 1747 Louis XV gave him the title of Marshal General of France. The title and  victories over the Austrians  are the events likely commemorated by this medal.    In 1732 Saxe wrote a classic study of the art of war,  Mes Rêveries, which was published posthumously in 1757.

The inscription on the obverse of the medal refers to him as Marshal of France; the remainder of the inscription refers to his title of Duke of Courland, although he was unable to retain this title. 

LINK to portrait of Maurice, Comte de Saxe by Maurice Quentin de La Tour

Battle of Fontenoy by Horace Verrnet

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