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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
Rev: Hercules with club, trophies below and
topographical plan of Poltava in the background.
POLTAVA
MIRA
CLADE
INSIGNIS
(Chronogram of 1709) (Poltava Is to Be
Glorified for the Wonderful Victory).
Exergue: VNIVERSO SVECORVM EXCERCITV DELETO (All the
Swedish Army Is Destroyed) D. 27. IVN. S. V.
Signed: C.IO.P.(Judin)/ I.G.I.(Jaeger)
Ref: Sm 181; Reichel 1117; Tiregale 30, cf. Cjep 10-12; Iverson
26/3c; Spassky and Shchukina 31; Diakov 27.8
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 to Battle
of Poltava (from Wikipedia)
LINK to Collection
of Medals from Imperial Russia (Yale University)
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