A beautifully crafted, striking checker medal commemorating the Vienna Victory of John III Sobieski.
Checker medals, also known as checker stones, are still a little-studied, interesting aspect of Polish numismatics. They were described as early as 1881, and were found, among others, in the collection of Radom numismatist Dr. Rewolinski. Cezary Wilanowski described them then as follows: "... checker stones with a stamp stamped on them in the manner of medals were used in the 16th, 17th and 17th centuries; Augsburg and Nuremberg made them. Stamps for such stones were often used to strike medals in bullion, and many medals were cast from such stones. Several dozen such stones are in the collection of D-ra R.".
This passage is also reflected in the catalog of Emeryk Hutten-Czapski, where under number 2464 there is a medal with the same image as the presented stone, but made in lead. Probably cast.
Ebony wood, thickness: 12 mm.
Obverse: Bust of King John III Sobieski wearing a laurel wreath, armor and paludamentum, facing right, in the rim the legend:
IOAN:III D.G. REX POLONIARUM.
Reverse: panorama of the city between two eagles in clouds and the sentence NEC. LUNA. DUABUS., and a camp with a shield with the inscription:
VIENNA. LIBE. / RATA. A. 1683 / DIE 12 SEPT (Vienna liberated 1683 on September 12).
