Habsburg Netherlands, Medal, Margaret of Austria
1567 - Silvered bronze
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Bust of Margaret of Austria, to right, wearing a dress with puffed sleeves and a high, ruffled collar, her hair covered by a hood and a rosary around her neck.
Allegorical feminine figure, standing on a cliff, facing, head turned to the left, laureate, wearing a loincloth. In her right hand, she holds a sword pointing upwards, and in her left, a palm and an olive branch. Behind her, on the left, a town and its bell tower; a sea exposed to the four winds (represented by faces in the sky blowing), on which is a small boat trying to reach a fortified city on the left.
Beautiful medal representing Margaret of Habsburg, Archduchess of Austria, Duchess of Savoy and Governor of the Netherlands. Made of silver-plated bronze, the medal has lost none of its silver plating and still has an attractive appearance, with the addition of a beautiful cabinet patina. The engraving suggests that this reproduction dates from 1567, which is probably slightly later than the extremely rare silver strike. Note also the superb allegorical representation on the reverse.
MARGARETA• DE• AVSTRIA• D• P• ET• P• GERMANIÆ• INFERIORIS• GVB• / Æ T 45
FAVENTE • DEO / •1567
68.84 gr
An “AU(55-58)” quality
As in numismatics, it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
About Uncirculated(55-58)
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has been in circulation but sufficiently little that its original beauty is preserved almost in its entirety. The wear is barely visible and any other defect can only be identified with a magnifying glass or a particularly keen eye. The number (55-58) indicates that between three quarters and almost all of the original luster remains.
