History
Four centuries of Rubens, in gold
In 1977 Antwerp celebrated the Rubens Year: exactly four centuries after the birth of Peter Paul Rubens (1577), the world-famous Baroque painter. In commemoration a gold medal appeared with his characteristic bust, complete with hat and beard, and the inscription “Rubens Year 1977”.
It is a small but pure piece of gold: 6.45 grams total, 90% gold (21.6 carats), good for 5.805 grams of fine gold, about ⅛ troy ounce. The diameter is about 21 millimetres.
With a mintage of over 100,000 pieces, the medal is no rarity. Collectors therefore pay no more for it than the gold content. At De Munter you receive exactly that gold value, transparently calculated at the day’s rate.
Who was Rubens? Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) was the most famous Baroque painter of the Southern Netherlands and a diplomat. From his Antwerp studio he produced hundreds of works; the city is still known as the Rubens city. The bust on the medal goes back to his well-known self-portraits, always with the characteristic broad hat.
Also in silver. Besides the gold version, the Rubens medal also exists in a silver execution. That is of course worth far less, since silver costs a fraction of the gold price. Unsure which you have? A gold medal feels heavier and has the deep, warm gold colour. Send us a photo of the obverse and reverse and we will confirm the metal at once.
