Stanisław Leszczyński - satirical medal

The war against Sweden (1700-1721), initiated by Denmark, Russia, and Saxony, brought the Saxon, Russian, and Swedish armies - led by the eminent leader and king Charles XII (1697-1718) – within the borders of the formally neutral Commonwealth. After eliminating Denmark and Russia, the Swedish monarch defeated the armies of Augustus II the Strong (1697-1733), then followed the dethroned king to Saxony and forced him to relinquish the throne of the Commonwealth (1706). Earlier, however, Charles XII had forcibly carried out the election of Stanisław Leszczyński, Voivode of Poznań (1704), and installed him on the Polish throne (1705). His coronation ceremony was graced with insignia provided by the Swedes, which, having served their purpose, were confiscated and converted into money.

The victory of Tsar Peter I (1689–1725) over Charles XII near Poltava in Ukraine (1709) decided about the throne of the Commonwealth. The triumphant tsar restored the crown to Augustus II the Strong. Stanisław Leszczyński then left the country with the Swedes.

The rival parties of Saxony rulers and Leszczyński appreciated the propaganda value of medal-making and used it to devalue and ridicule their rival. The satirical convention in medal-making, which was foreign to Poland, had functioned from the 16th century in German countries where the medal in question was most probably created. In accordance with the accepted practice, the author of a work of this nature preferred to remain anonymous and marked the work with the monogram MTCC, which was also puzzling to his contemporaries.

The medal depicts the bust of Stanisław Leszczyński shown in the right profile, with uncovered head, wearing armour with a cloak over it. The figure is surrounded by an inscription, translated as: FROM GOD’S GRACE STANISŁAW I KING OF POLAND. On the other side, the reverse shows a theatrical scene with the participation of the king. He appears as an actor in a nobleman's costume with a sceptre in his hand, watched by the audience from backstage. The satirical nature of this performance is completed by the inscription at the bottom, translated as: WORSHIPPED UNTIL HE PROVIDES ENTERTAINMENT 1707 and the text on the side of the medal, translated as: IT IS A COMMON INDIFFERENCE, WHICH THE SUPERIOR WILL NO LONGER REMEDY 1710.

Tomasz Markiewicz