1794 Entrance of Francis II in the Netherlands
deCoster 925
Mitchiner 2839


28mm Link

1794 was probably the most turbulent year of the Revolution. In the midst of the Terror in France, Mutiny in the British fleet, War between everyone and the fear of Counter-Revolution by everyone, Francis II went to view the front lines and see his Netherlands territories.

1794 Death of Elisabeth-Philippe Marie-Hélène, France.
Hennin 621
Milan 108


31mm Link

Sister to Louis XVI she was the next member of the royal family to die after her sister-in-law Marie Antoinette. Louis XVII would die under unknown circumstances within the next two years. The Terror had begun in 1793 and throughout 1794 more and more would fall under the ax. The politicians at the second and third levels began to panic that they would soon die themselves and eventually sent the government of France to their deaths.

1794 The Honourable Thomas Erskine and Vicary Gibbs, Great Britain.
BHM 376


44mm Link

Erskine and Gibbs were lawyers involved in defending the rights of Englishmen to speak up in opposition to their government and to the wars that government waged. It has an eerie correspondence to events recently in the United States. The British government brought charges of treason against people who spoke out against the government. It was an act of personal bravery to act as lawyer to these people, it could result in your own imprisonment or death as a traitor. It is encouraging that eventually nearly every case was found in favor of the defendants though many of them still spent years in prison.

1794 The Honourable Thomas Erskine, Great Britain.
BHM 375
D&H 1010


29mm Link

Erskine also defended Thomas Paine, who was sentenced to death in absentia. As a result he fell out of official disfavor though not popular.

1794 Charles Cornwallis, Created First Marquis Cornwallis, Great Britain.
BHM 373


39mm Link

This medal is an example of the fact that you only had to be an aristocrat to be successful. Cornwallis failed on a major level on most of the great events he was involved in. Here he was promoted and probably given a medal.

1794 Battle of the First of June, Great Britain
BHM 384
D&H 6


35mm Link

The Admiral Earl Howe's fleet encountered the French fleet and engaged on June 1, 1794. The victory was not a crippling one like those engineered later by Nelson but was needed at a time when the fleet itself had mutinied earlier in the year. This is a medallic Conder token, more medal than token.

Dr. Strandberg, Sweden


34mm Link

This is a death medal, a common enough type of medal but always technically rare.

GREAT selection for that turbulent time. Lost count of how many times I use your site. and I for one would love to see your historical magazines etc


Click to view attachment

This is from around that time, perhaps you have some info or insight as to what it is? My guess is below.

Unifaced: Head of Francis II in high relief facing right with a laurel wreath in his hair. Circumference inscription: IMP. CAES. FRANCICVS. II P. F. AVG.. Signed by the designer at the base I. N. WIRT. F.. Bronze 47 x 3.5mm 50 grams. Appears to be a trial strike for the obverse of Honor Medal LEGE ET FIDE of 1792 even though no medals were produced in this size

For what it's worth Johann Nepomuk Wirth was the chief engraver at the Vienna mint until his death in 1811. That sets the upper limit of when the piece was produced, the lower would of course be 1792-ish. So your placement sounds good; young bust and all. Not much more info that I can find...