MAURITS 1567-1625 Prooflike Gilded Bronze Medal 38mm ca30g & COA, Rare. BB21

Maurits was the second son of William of Orange and his second wife, Anna of Saxony. He was also the successor of William of Orange as hereditary stadtholder. He inherited the principality in 1618, upon the death of his older half-brother, Philip William. During his father's struggle against Spanish tyranny, Maurits moved from place to place. His youth was also overshadowed by the assassination of his father.

Maurits studied from 1583 to 1584 in Leiden. In April 1588, he was appointed Admiral-General of the Union by the States General. In 1589, he became commander of all Dutch troops. By then, his major conflict with Alexander of Parma had begun. After Parma’s death, Maurits was without question the greatest general of his time. The Battle of Nieuwpoort in 1600 was particularly significant.

In 1620, following the death of his cousin William Louis, Maurits became stadtholder of Groningen and Drenthe. Maurits never married. From about 1600 to 1610, he lived with Margaretha of Mechelen, who bore him several children, but due to religious reasons, they could not marry officially.

Metal: Gilded bronze
Weight: approx. 30 g
Diameter: 38 mm
Edge: smooth
Quality: prooflike