Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick 1758.

[constanius]

Obv. FREDERICK KING OF PRUSSIA

Rev. FERDINANDUS PRINCEPS.

Frederick the Great & The duke, Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick his Field Marshal. Struck for The Battle of Krefeld (sometimes referred to by its French name of Créfeld) a battle fought on June 23, 1758 between a Prussian-Hanoverian army commanded by Prince Ferdinand and a French army during the Seven Years' War. 28mm Bronze. I suspect this might just be the work of John Kirk, the obverse inscription is in English, which points to an english maker, Kirk had engraved another medal of Prince Ferdinand(battle of Minden 1759) & he did make both expensive & cheap medals. It is curious that the reverse is in Latin but Kirk was conversant with both Latin & English.

 

After Minden, King George II of Great Britain gave the duke the order of the Garter, and the thanks of the British parliament were voted on the same occasion to the victor of Minden. After the war, he was honored by other sovereigns, and he received the rank of field marshal and a regiment from the Austrians. During the War of American Independence, there was a suggestion, which came to nothing, of offering him the command of the British forces. He devoting most of the small income he received from his various offices and the rewards given to him by the allied princes to compensate those who had suffered in the Seven Years' War.