AIRE - LOUIS XIV 1710 - Lot 686

Lot n° 686
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600 - 650 EUR
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Result : 750EUR
AIRE - LOUIS XIV 1710 - Lot 686
AIRE - LOUIS XIV 1710 OBS PRO . REGE. ET. PATRIA. ARIA. Coat of arms of Governor Goësbriand. Year under the shield. Above, face value 25. R/. Smooth. ** Dr O 12 Silver coin of 25 Sols (uniface) 1710 (7.39 g) Square flan with cut corners. Superb. AIRE SUR LA LYS French town besieged by the Spanish. This stronghold, capital of the arrondissement of Saint Omer (Pas-de-Calais), was often coveted. A troop of 25,000 men commanded by Marshal de la Meilleraye was sent by Richelieu to reconquer Artois. The Siege of Aire began on May 25, 1641. Governor Bernovitte resisted, but was forced to surrender on July 27... after sacrificing his crockery. But the Spanish counter-attacked on August 10 and the starving besieged had to surrender on December 7, 1641. Following the French defeat at Malplaquet on September 11, 1709, the Marquis de Goësbriand was appointed governor of the town. Besieged in September 1710, Aire surrendered to Malborough** and Eugène after 52 days of siege. The marquis had his silver tableware melted down for minting. The town was restored to France by the Treaty of Utrecht on April 11, 1713. **The protagonist is John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough. He left his name to the song "Malborough s'en va en guerre" (Malborough goes to war). Contrary to what the song's lyrics suggest, sung by the French to mock an enemy, Churchill was only wounded at the Battle of Malplaquet on September 11, 1709, to which reference is made.
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