GERMANY. Straßburg (Stadt). Medal 1627 (Silver, 37 mm, 14.06 g, 9 h), on the Nativity of Jesus, Strasbourg. The Nativity depicted within an elaborate architectural frame between two decorated columns: Virgin Mary kneels before the Infant Christ lying upon a cradle in front of two kneeling cattle, Saint Joseph stands opposite holding his flowering rod, kneeling shepherd prays before the manger, second shepherd stands behind the Virgin carrying a crook over his shoulder; above, Holy Spirit, represented by a descending dove, appears beneath the radiant Star of Bethlehem; below all, 1627 within cartouche. Rev. GLORIA•IN•EXCELSIS•DEO Winged angel walking left praising the Greater Doxology. Goppel -. Kube, 1 February 1921, 555 var. (gold). Exceedingly rare and nicely toned. Minor marks and scratches, otherwise, good very fine.


Until today, it remains unknown who produced this exceedingly rare medal. For the comparable gold specimen, both Strasbourg and Regensburg have been proposed as possible places of origin (cf. Kube, 1 February 1921, p. 41, 555).

That this piece is unlikely to have been made in Silesia - despite the widespread popularity of the subject there - seems evident on stylistic grounds. Instead, its artistic style points much more convincingly to a workshop in southern or western Germany.