Last week Dave Hirt asked about Lot #2920 on the 1878 Jules Fonrobert sale of coins, tokens, and medals of North America. A silver piece listed under New York City is described as follows (in German). Thanks to Ron Haller-Williams for the image. -Editor

"In response to David Hirt's inquiry, I summoned up my mostly forgotten high school German. I believe the legends describe the siege of New Netherland (English spelling), the Dutch colony in what is now New York State. The colony surrendered to its British invaders around this same time. The name of the colony then became New York, and its primary settlement at the foot of Manhattan, New Amsterdam, was renamed New York City. It is from this history that New Netherlands (the "s" was in error) Coin Company was established in 1936."

"No wonder Dave Hirt was unable to find this piece in Krause! It is a silver commemorative medal ("S[ilber] Denkm[al]"), NOT a coin. By the way, it is rather large for a coin - 70mm in diameter, and this specimen weighed 61.10 grams. And its connection with New York is somewhat tenuous ..."

The medal was struck "auf den Sieg der Niederländer über die britische Flotte bei Chatham und den Frieden von Breda, in welchen das, von den Niederländern seit 1614 besessene, 1664 von den Briten unter Oberst Nicolls eroberte New York an England abgetreten wurde" ("on the victory of the Dutch over the British fleet at Chatham and the Peace of Breda, in which New York, which had been possessed by the Dutch since 1614 and conquered by the British under Colonel Nicolls in 1664, was ceded to England").

"The only connection to New York is that, among other things, this treaty determined the fate of New York."

"My understanding is that this refers not specifically to the "city that never sleeps" but to the entire territory/colony - which, of course, became the State of New York somewhat over a century later - and about a century before the Fonrobert sale.

"Medallic Illustrations" lists two medals for the Medway matter (#174 & #175), and 12 commemorating the Peace/Treaty of Breda (#176 thru #187). For this one, it gives quite a lot of interesting background."

"(auf den Sieg der Niederlander aber die britische Flotte bei Chatham and den Frieden von Breda...)"

"I assume "aber" (but) in the first few words is a mistranscription and should be "über" (over): "On the victory of the Dutch over the British fleet off Chatham and the Peace of Breda, in which New York, occupied by the Dutch since 1614 and captured by the British under Colonel [variously Colonel/Admiral/Governor according to my web search] Nicolls in 1664, was ceded to England."

"While I don't have the Fonrobert catalog he mentions, I can read German: "[This silver coin commemorates] the victory of the Netherlanders over the British fleet at Chatham and the peace of Breda, in which New York, owned since 1614 by the Netherlanders, 1664 conquerted by the British under Colonel Nicolls, was ceded to England."

"I wonder if the word "aber" [but] in Dave Hirt's note should not be "über/ueber" [over]."

Makes sense. Ron also provided the below links and this excerpt from Medallic Illustrations . -Editor

"Here is a scan of the illustration of the piece, from Plate LII of my copy of Medallic Illustrations ."

So now we know what that Fonrobert entry was all about. Great medal. Important history. Thanks, everyone! -Editor