Description

William III. and Mary II. 1689-1694. Silver Medal 1693, 94.94 g. Battle of Landen. By J. Boskam. Bust, laureate, armoured and draped. INVICTISSIMVS GVILLELMVS MAG. Rv. Falcon flying left, pouncing upon a heron, which receives it upon its beak: distant towns and battle. FORTI . SIC . VICTOR . VINCITVR . ART. In exergue: XXIX . IVL . MDCXCIII. Plain edge. 59.9 mm. Eimer -. MI ii 86/303. van Loon IV, 1401. Saunders/Vanhoudt 1693-20. Fast FDC / About Mint State. Prachtvolle Erhaltung mit herrlicher Patina / Beautiful condition with magnificent patina.

From the auction Laurens Schulman b.v. 30, Bussum, November 2004, lot 2064.

The Battle of Landen, also known as Battle of Neerwinden, took place on 29 July 1693, during the Nine Years' War near Landen, then in the Spanish Netherlands, now part of Belgium. A French army under Marshal Luxembourg defeated an Allied force led by William III.

Although the French forced the Allies from the field, as with the Battle of Steenkerque the previous year, both sides suffered heavy casualties and Louis failed to achieve the decisive result that would force the Allies to negotiate peace. When a heron is hard pressed it throws itself upon its back in the air and receives the falcon upon the point of its beak ; William is the heron who so severely punished Luxembourg.