Netherlands, Vlissingen. Silver Medal 1772 – Bicentenary of the Liberation – 32 mm Municipal Issue – J. H. Schepp
An infrequently offered silver medal commemorating the bicentenary of Vlissingen’s liberation from Spanish authority on 6 April 1572. This 32 mm municipal issue was commissioned by the city authorities, with dies engraved by Johann Heinrich Schepp after a design by the Vlissingen minister Jan Jacob Brahé.
Obverse: A monument bearing the portrait of William of Orange, surmounted by a smoking urn. In the background, a view of Vlissingen and ships on the water. Above: EBEN-HAEZER. In the exergue: EX DECRETO S P Q FLISS / VIII ID APR MDCCLXXII.
Reverse: Helmeted personification of Liberty holding a spear surmounted by a liberty cap, with the subdued figures of Superstition and Tyranny below. Inscription: ET SPONTE ET FELICITER. In the exergue: VIII ID APRIL / MDLXXII. Signed S.
Specifications:
Country: Netherlands
City: Vlissingen
Date: 1772
Material: Silver
Weight: 12.63 g
Diameter: 32.00 mm
Medallist: Johann Heinrich Schepp
Design: Jan Jacob Brahé
Reference: Vervolg van Loon 464
On 6 April 1572, Vlissingen rejected Spanish authority during the Dutch Revolt. The bicentenary in 1772 was celebrated with formal ceremonies, a church service and festive meals. The city commissioned this medal for presentation to invited dignitaries and members of the local civic community.
Silver examples were distributed to guests at the official celebrations, officers of the civic guard and Free Company, former municipal officeholders and their widows, church council members, governors of charitable institutions, school officials, municipal employees, guild representatives and organists.
Gold examples of the same municipal issue were presented to prominent recipients, including Stadholder William V, the Duke of Brunswick, Johan Adriaan van de Perre, Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel and the medal’s designer, Jan Jacob Brahé. The Zeeuws Genootschap preserves a gold example recorded as a gift from the city authorities in 1772.
The surviving administrative account records 352 silver medals in a sworn declaration, while the accompanying invoice lists 350. This provides unusually specific documentation for the original silver issue.
The 32 mm medal by Schepp is a distinct municipal commission, separate from the related medals produced by Theodorus Victor van Berckel for the civic militia. A seldom encountered historical medal with a documented connection to the ceremonial and civic life of eighteenth-century Vlissingen.
