Sometime in the 1790's, King Stanislaw II August Poniatowski commissioned a set of medals showcasing portraits and biogr...

Sometime in the 1790's, King Stanislaw II August Poniatowski commissioned a set of medals showcasing portraits and biographical information on each Polish King from Boleslaus I up to himself. The first ten medals, up to Alexander Jagiello, were engraved by J. P. Holzhaeusser. The last eleven, from Sigismund I Jagiello on, were done by J. J. Reichel. Each of the silver 45mm medals has a superb portrait of the king on the obverse and biographical legends on the reverse. HCz. 3418-40 (R3). Over the past twenty-five years, this cataloger has handled, in total, perhaps 15-20 pieces in iron, 10-15 pieces in bronze, and maybe 6-8 pieces in silver. To put together, piece by piece, a complete set, especially in silver, would be an impossible task. The chance to acquire a complete set, all in magnificent condition, is most likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Because this set was originally given as a very special presentation set, it has been kept intact and preserved for nearly two centuries! In 1814, with the addition of a 1764 Silver Coronation medal for King Poniatowski, made by T. Pingo, these 23 silver medals, mounted in a presentation case with a silver top, inscribed HENRICO BROUGHAM / POLONI GRATI / A MDCCC IV were presented by Poles in exile to Lord Henry Brougham of England, a famous barrister and parliamentarian who very often pleaded the cause of Poland in his speeches and writings. Excessively rare!
Ex Sawicki Collection (Galerie des Monnaies, 11-13 February 1980), lot 326 (where it realized $22,000).
This cataloger purchased this set for Mr. Karolkiewicz at the Sawicki sale nearly 20 years ago amid very spirited bidding. Mr. Karolkiewicz was thrilled to have purchased this set and he has considered it among his top acquisitions. No doubt it is one of the most difficult items in his collection to "let go of". This set is certainly one of those cases in which the whole far exceeds the sum of the individual items! As a medallic history of the Polish Nation and its Royalty for nearly a millennium, it is unparalleled. Mr. Karolkiewicz hopes that the new caretaker of this historically significent set receives as much pleasure from it as it has afforded him over the past twenty years!