On offer is a 1702 (1643 dated) Kingdom of France AE (bronze) medal of Louis XIV ("Francorum Spes Magna").

This medal is graded MS (Mint State) 64 BN (brown) by NGC. It is approximately 41mm in diameter.

The catalog designation for this medal is Divo-4 (Jean-Paul Divo, Medailles de Louis XIV, Zurich, 1982).

The medal is one of a series of 286 bronze medals issued in 1702, each designed to commemorate a significant event in the reign of Louis XIV. The medal on offer here celebrates the accession of Louis XIV to the throne of France in 1643, hence the date inscribed on the medal's reverse.

From the "Medailles sur les principaux événements du règne de Louis le Grand", a folio-volume catalog issued in 1702 to accompany the medal series: "Upon the death of Louis XIII, his son Louis Dauphin, in accordance with the fundamental Law of the kingdom, succeeded to the Crown... This is the subject of this medallion." (p. 4)

This medal was designed by the noted engraver Jean Mauger (1648-1712). Examples of his medals are held in the collections of the British Museum, the Bibliotheque National de France, and the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

The item pictured is the exact item which will be received. The prospective purchaser should independently judge the quality and condition of this piece based upon the original photos provided.