Medal: 1672, "Prise de douze villes en Hollande"
Coin/Medal in possession of family approx 1670-1970. If anyone discovers anything new, comments to Mark.drapes@freenet.de
Photograph of the Medal [taken before the coin was auctioned]
Presented by Louis 14th to Poncette Count de la Vivarree
The Count was Premiere Ministre d'etat and was a General Officer in
The Army and the names inscribed on the back of the Medal show the
battles in which he was engaged
A portrait of the Count is in the possession of the Great Grand niece E.L Griffith
[coin and portraits sold at auction around 1970]
Coin front inscriptions: Ludovicus Magnus. Fran et nav Rex PP. Head of Louise XIV
Coin reverse inscriptions: Solis Que Labores. 12 town names.
Awarded by Louis XIV (the Sun King) to one of his commanders or ministers for success in battles in the 1672-78 war with Spanish controlled Holland.
The towns are in the Netherlands or Germany close to the current Netherlands border.
The first town in the campaign in April 1672 would have been Orsoy and then the French and their Allies moved eastwards into Holland it seems in the order they appear on the coin.
Orsoy
Germany, D 47495 Orsoy, 5 sides 5 turrets
Confirmed in Wiki Guerre de Holland article
Confirmed in Louis xiv book by Jean Christian Petitfils
Rhinberg
Germany, D 47495 Rheinberg, 6 sides 6 turrets
Confirmed in Wiki Guerre de Holland article
Confirmed in Louis xiv book by Jean Christian Petitfils
Vesel
Germany, D 46485 Wesel, rectagular 4 turrets
Confirmed in Wiki Guerre de Holland article
Confirmed in Louis xiv book by Jean Christian Petitfils
Emerick
Germany, D 46446 Emmerich, 7 sides 7 turrets
Confirmed in Wiki Guerre de Holland article
Confirmed in Louis xiv book by Jean Christian Petitfils
Schinck
Germany, D 47533 Kleve/Schenkenschanz, 5 sides 6 turrets
Wiki Schenkenschanz article mentions Louis XIV himself was
in Schenken Schanz with his army 1672
Arnhem
Netherlands, NL 6812 Arnhem, 5 sides 5 turrets
Confirmed in Wiki Guerre de Holland article
Confirmed in Louis xiv book by Jean Christian Petitfils
Doesbuyga
Netherlands, NL 6981 Doesburg, 7 sides 7 turrets
Castle walls still there.
Confirmed in Louis xiv book by Jean Christian Petitfils
Zutphen
Netherlands NL 7201, 6 sides 5 turrets
Confirmed in Louis xiv book by Jean Christian Petitfils
Deventer
Netherlands, NL 7411 Deventer, 6 sides 7 turrets
Some castle walls and moat still there.
Nimègue
Netherlands NL 6511 Nijmegen, French: Nimègue, 4 sides 4 turrets
Peace treaty signed here 1678
Gravh
Netherlands NL 5361 Grave, near Nijmegen, 6 sides 6 turrets
Some old moat left
Bomel
Zaltbommel, Netherlands NL 5301, 6 sides 8 turrets
In 1649 known as Salt Boemel (wiki)
Confirmed in Louis xiv book by Jean Christian Petitfils
Notes: Vivarree can also be spelt Vivarais and is the former name for the region that is now called Ardeche in southern France. You still come across the name Vivarais there.
There were several Premiere Ministre d'etat but its difficult to narrow down which one the coin refers to.
2023: My researches never found a Count Poncette de Vivarais so far, but there are many French archives in Paris that I have not delved into. Possibles Ministers include:
Jean-Baptiste Colbert b.1619 – d.1683 Prime Minister 1661-1683
Claude Le Peletier Conseiller d'État 1673
Francois Michel Le Tellier, Marquis De Louvois, b.1641 - d.1691, war minister 1662-1691
NOTE: Sometimes the original coin or a copy (I think there a few in circulation) appears in the coin auctioneers online.