Historical and Commemorative Medals
Collection of Benjamin Weiss

BATTLE OF POLTAVA

JUDIN, Samuel/JAEGER, Johann Caspar: Russia, 1770, Bronze, 65 mm
Obv: Peter I on horseback riding over field of dead soldiers. HIC HONOR IN. NOBIS INVIDIOSVS ERIT. OVID (We Shall Be Envied for this Glory).
Exergue: PETRO ALEXIADI D.G. MAGNO RVSS. IMP. PIO FELICI AVG. TRIVMPHATORI (Peter Alexeevich, by the Grace of God, Great Russian Emperor, Pious and Blissful, the Most August and Triumphant)
Rev: Hercules with club, trophies below and topographical plan of Poltava in the background. POLTAVA MIRA CLADE INSIGNIS (Chronogram of 1709) (Poltava Is Astounded by this Significant Defeat).
Exergue: VNIVERSO SVECORVM EXCERCITV DELETO (All the Swedish Army Is Destroyed) D. 27. IVN. S. V.
Signed: C._.P.(Cut by S. Yudin)/ I.G.I.(Jaeger)
Ref: Sm 181; Reichel 1117; Tiregale 30, cf. Cjep 10-12; Iverson 26/3c; Spassky and Shchukina 31;  Diakov  I,  100/ 27.10

This medal is similar to that struck by P. H. Muller in 1709, the year in which the Battle of Poltava was fought. The piece shown was likely issued around 1770. The obverse is by Judin and the reverse by Jaeger. Durand observes that Judin's medal of the Battle of Poltava has placed him in the front rank of medallists (Forrer).

The medal commemorates Russia's victory against Charles XII of Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700-1721), a war in which Sweden was opposed by a coalition of forces, including Denmark, Saxony, Poland and Russia. Sweden had enjoyed several victories and had crushed the army of Peter the Great in 1700 at the Battle of Narva. In 1708 Charles XII renewed his assault on Russia but made the strategic mistake of advancing through Poland to the south of Russia, instead of attacking straight against Moscow. Although some of the Cossacks joined him, Charles had an insufficient force and was depleted by a severe winter. This combination of factors led to his decisive defeat by Peter the Great near Poltava, a town in the Ukraine, in 1709.

LINK  Description and Painting of Battle of Poltava (from Wikipedia)

LINK to Collection of Medals from Imperial Russia (Yale University)

LINK to Russian History in Medals: Peter the Great by Olga Less (from ANS magazine)

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