101577 | BELGIUM. Brussels Peace Conference bronze Medal.

101577  |  BELGIUM. Brussels Peace Conference bronze Medal. Issued 1874 (64x64mm, 71.43 g, 12h). By C. Würden.

 

St. Michael standing right, holding sword and shield, and about to slay the devil upon which he stands; 15 coat-of-arms of the participating nations; weapons and emblems of warfare in four quadrants, with the upper quadrant being contemporary / Legend in 13 lines containing the names of the delegates to the conference. Edge: Plain.

 

Gem Mint State. Vibrant red-brown surfaces, with tremendous underlying luster. A very interestingly shaped medal.

 

Following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, a peace conference in Brussels was held in order to restore the fragile balance of power in Europe at the cusp of the 20th century and to address the new role of warfare and weaponry in future conflicts. The conference paved the way for further developments in humanitarian law and the governance of warfare at the 1899 Hague Peace Conference.