Sweden (Estonia / Russia) Silver Medal ND (1706) - Victories of Karl XII from Narva to Traventhal, 1700-1706 - Karl XII (1697-1718)

36.10g. 43mm. Beautiful exemplar with old grey color toning. 

Medalier: Georg Hautsch. 

Delzanno (SKM) 172a (Ag); Hildebrand 106b. 

(Similar to SKM 170a / Hildebrand 106, but with the following distinctions: the reverse legend is divided, the columns are ornamented at the top, and Hercules’ face is turned to the right). 

Rare. 

Obv.: Right-facing bust of Charles XII, draped and cuirassed, with lion-head ornament on the shoulder. 

Inscription around: 

CAROLVS XII D·G·REX SVEC· 

(Charles XII, by the Grace of God King of Sweden). 

Rev.: Hercules standing facing between two columns, with long loose hair, his face turned to the right; around, twelve shields naming victories, captured places, and peace settlements. 

Inscription around: 

NON HÆC VLTIMA META LABORVM. / XII. LABORES / HERCVL. 

(This is not the final goal of labors / The twelve labors / of Hercules). 

Inscriptions on shields: 

DESC. / IN / SEEL. 

(Descent in Seeland, Denmark). 

NARVA 

(Narva, Estonia). 

TRAI. / DVNÆ. 

(Passage of the Düna, Latvia). 

CLIS / SOW 

(Kliszów, Poland). 

LEM / BERG 

(Lemberg, now Lviv, Ukraine). 

FRAV / STAD 

(Fraustadt, now Wschowa, Poland). 

PAX ALT / RANST. 

(Peace of Altranstädt, Germany). 

GROD / NO 

(Grodno, now Hrodna, Belarus). 

THO / RVN. 

(Thorn, now Toruń, Poland). 

PVL / TOFS 

(Pułtusk, Poland). 

RIGA 

(Riga, Latvia). 

PAX / TRA / VENTH. 

(Peace of Traventhal, Germany). 

The years 1700 to 1706 marked the high point of Charles XII’s early military career in the Great Northern War. In this phase Sweden fought against Denmark, Russia, Saxony, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and achieved a succession of victories that established the young king as one of the most formidable commanders in Europe. The events commemorated in this context include the descent in Seeland, now part of modern Denmark; Narva, now in Estonia; the crossing of the Düna near Riga and Dünamünde, both in present-day Latvia; Kliszów, Cracow, Thorn, now Toruń in modern Poland; Lemberg, now Lviv in modern Ukraine; Fraustadt, now Wschowa in modern Poland; Grodno, now Hrodna in modern Belarus; Pułtusk, in modern Poland; and the peace settlements of Traventhal, in modern Germany, and Altranstädt, now part of Leipzig in modern Germany. 

The early triumph at Narva in 1700, won against a much larger Russian army, became one of the most celebrated Swedish victories of the entire war. The subsequent operations around Riga and Dünamünde secured Sweden’s position in the eastern Baltic, while the advance into the Polish-Lithuanian theatre brought the capture of Warsaw, Cracow, and Thorn. These campaigns demonstrated not only Charles XII’s aggressiveness in the field, but also the strategic reach of the Swedish Empire across the Baltic world, from present-day Sweden and Finland to territories that now belong to Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Russia. At this stage of the conflict, Sweden still appeared capable of maintaining its status as the dominant power in Northern Europe, and medals such as this were intended to present the king’s victories as proof of both military valor and princely wisdom.