The Siege of Brussels

Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 1238. Estimate $2500.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $1600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LOW COUNTRIES, Brussel. AR Zesendertig stuiver klippe (24.46 g). Siege issue. Dated 1580. PERFER • ET • OBDVRA _ BRVXELLA _, civic coat-of-arms; • 36 • ST • above; 15 80 across field; all within pearl border / Blank. Gelder 160a; Delmonte, Argent 216; cf. Maillet 22. Near VF, toned. Very rare.

Ex J.D. Lasser Collection; Schulman 286 (28 September 1987), lot 1354.

Following the Unie van Atrecht, in which the southern provinces, most of which were in Wallonia, declared their loyalty to Spain, the northern provinces in 1579 declared their solidarity with the rebels in the Unie van Utrecht. Brussel was among those cities of Flanders and Brabant which sided with the revolt. However, their joining prompted the Spanish to lay siege to it to following year in an attempt to consolidate all the southern provinces under their control. To this end the Spanish were successful, for in 1581, the territory of Flanders, including the city of Brussel, no longer a member of the Unie van Utrecht, and was firmly in Spanish hands.