Erasmus himself has commissioned this medal, dated 1531. He presented the medal – just as the earlier large bronze medal made in 1519 – to friends or other persons important to him, e.g. persons who had done him an important service, as a token of gratitude and friendship. NEPK could acquire this medal for its collection thanks to the generous financial support by the Gebroeders Verschoor, the Barnabas Kossmann fund, and the Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Inv nr NEPK1850.
The portrait is based on that by Quinten Matsys (1519), see NEPK1335, as are the texts. Katz “Die Erzgebergische Prägemedaille des XVI. Jahrhunderts” and RBN-1920 attribute the medal to Hieronymous Magdeburger (died 1540). The present medal was realised using the screw press technique. Origin: Collection MA Snoeck, who was an important collector of coins and medals (Jhr Matthias Adriaan Snoeck * Hintham 25-4-1838 – + Hintham 2-4-1911) –> collection Beelaerts (Jhr Matthias Adriaan Beelaerts van Blokland *Pei-tai-ho (China) 3-8-1910 – + The Hague 14-10-1990).
