Russia Tin-Alloy Medal 1704 (1720s of the 18th century) – Capture of Narva – Peter I (1682–1725)

33.63g. 46mm. XF/VF+. Traces of oxidation in the fields with some surface wear. 

Medalier: Philipp Heinrich Müller (without initial M on truncation).

Plain edge. 

Diakov 21.8 obverse - similar (see note below). Ar - R3.

Extremely rare. 

Obv.: Right-facing bust of Peter I wearing a laurel wreath, armor, and fur-trimmed mantle with a lion on the chest. 

Inscription around:

PETRVS ALEXII FIL • D . G • RVSS • IMP • M • DVX MOSCOVIÆ •

(Peter, son of Alexis, by the Grace of God Russian Emperor, Grand Duke of Moscow)

Rev.: Panorama of Narva under Russian artillery fire; in the distance — Russian fortress of Ivangorod; Latin quote above, with an error in the final word; date in chronogram; explanatory legend below.

Inscription above:

CᴇCIDᴇʀᴇ ᴇв оʀIɢIɴᴇ ᴘʀIMᴀ. ʟvcᴇʀᴛ 

(They have fallen from their origin. — Lucretius)

Error in inscription — “LVCERT” instead of “LUCRET”

In exergue:

NARVA VI САРТА | 9 AVG • ST • V • 

(Narva taken by assault | 9 August [Old Style]). 

* In the early 1720s, by order of Peter I, original medal dies created by Philipp Heinrich Müller were repaired, and sets of medals were struck in white metal (a lead-tin alloy). It appears that some obverse dies failed to withstand the workload and required restoration. In our opinion, this medal was struck using a restored original Müller obverse die of type M1, which originally bore the engraver’s initial on the truncation of the sleeve (removed during restoration).

Known examples struck from the original M1 die display a distinctive die crack running through the portrait, caused by the die deteriorating during striking, as well as damage to the circular inscription. We believe that this damaged die was repaired: the engraver’s initial was removed, a small dot was added on the sleeve, some fine details of the relief were re-cut directly into the die, and the circular inscription was entirely recut in smaller lettering. The die crack, however, could not be eliminated and thus remains visible on all known examples.

The reverse die used for this medal is original, although it also exhibits signs of deterioration.

Given the composition of museum collections, which include numerous white-metal medals, and referring to Peter I’s correspondence ordering the striking of tin-alloy medals as diplomatic gifts, it can be concluded that this medal was struck either during Peter’s lifetime or shortly after his death.

Original medals from the era of Peter the Great, particularly those by Philipp Heinrich Müller, are exceedingly rare and possess significant historical and numismatic value.

The medal commemorates the storming and capture of Narva on August 9, 1704, during the Great Northern War. After the defeat near Narva in 1700, Peter I led a renewed and successful campaign, capturing the Swedish fortress with heavy artillery fire and establishing Russian control over the strategic region. The Latin quote, drawn from Lucretius, symbolizes the fall of Sweden’s dominance in the Baltics.