SWITZERLAND, République et Canton de Genève. Genève. AR Medal (41x61mm, 59.84 g, 12h). The Tercentennial of
L’Escalade. By H. Bovy, C. Roch, and A. Bailey. Dually dated 12 December 1602 and 1902. Helvetia standing right, cradling rifle in right arm, drawing back curtain with left; in background,
l’Escalade: soldiers of the Duke of Savoy attempting to scale the walls of Geneva; in exergue, coat-of-arms above banner reading POST TENEBARAS LVX, branch and TIR CONTONAL GENEVOIS/ 1902 in two lines, 3
ÈME CENTENAIRE/ DE L’ESCALADE in two lines in incuse to right / Battle at the gates of Geneva: Genevan soldier wielding halberd against Savoyard, raising right arm to defend fallen comrade; at gate, Genevan soldier firing an arquebus into melee beyond gate; in incuse to left, ARRIVERENT/ ALORS/ DE TOUS/ CÔTES/ SOLDATS DE/ GENÈVE/ QUI CORURENT/ SUR L’ENNEMEY/ EN LE CHARGEANT/ DE/ TOUTES/ LEURS FORCES; 12 DECEMBRE 1602 in relief below. Martin 400. Good VF, toned.
The late 16th and early 17th centuries were a time of perennial conflicts between Geneva and the Duchy of Savoy. The most famous of these engagements occurred on 11 December 1602 when Carlo Emmanuele, the hot-headed expansionist Duke of Savoy, laid siege to the city under cover of night. The Duke’s plan hinged on using a commando raid to distract and disorient the defenders and open the city gates. He ordered his heavily armored cuirassiers to dismount and scale the walls, but the Genevan militia soundly repulsed them. According to legend, the alarm was raised in part by the housewife Mère Royaume, who dumped a cauldron of hot soup on one of the attackers, causing a commotion that awoke the town.
