The minting of King Stanislaw Augustus is one of his finest periods in Polish history. Ascending to the throne after years of rule by the Saxons, who concentrated minting production outside the borders of the Republic, he undertook to introduce valuable coinage into circulation. He also took care of its high artistic level. To this end, he hired one of the leading medalists of the era - Jan Filip Holzhaeusser. It was this Dresden artist who became the king's court medalist and, in addition to working on the coin stamps, was responsible for the production of medals. Here is one of them.
This is the medal"For diligence," as its reverse proclaims to us.
These medals were originally founded in 1766 (or 1767). They were a reward for the primes of the Royal Corps of Cadets (Knights' School), founded in 1765, of which the King was the supreme head. As we read in the catalog of the Royal Castle Collection, "initially the king himself presented the medals at the school's annual showpiece." From 1784, they were also presented to outstanding students of other public schools.
They were minted at the Mint in Warsaw, and Holzhaeusser was responsible for the stamps.
A beautiful piece. Natural, with luster, in patina. On the rim a decorative motif known from Poniatowski's silver coins.
Rare, especially in such states.
