Lot 289
Belgium. Pair of Tin Uniface The Peace Treaty between Spain and France 1660 (Tin, 70.95 gr, 55 mm). Van Loon 1660-6. PCGS SP62
The Treaty of the Pyrenees, signed on November 7, 1659, marked the end of a prolonged conflict between France and Spain that had been part of the broader Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). Although the Thirty Years' War officially ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, France and Spain continued fighting until this treaty brought their hostilities to a close.
Negotiated on Pheasant Island, a small neutral territory in the Bidasoa River between the two nations, the treaty symbolized a decisive shift in European power dynamics. It ceded Roussillon and northern Cerdanya to France, consolidating French control over parts of modern-day southern France, and parts of Artois, Hainaut, and other territories in the Low Countries. Spain retained control of the Southern Netherlands, but the loss of these territories significantly weakened its influence.
The treaty also included a marriage agreement between Louis XIV of France and Maria Theresa of Spain, aimed at cementing peace. However, the dowry disputes arising from this marriage later became one of the factors leading to the War of Devolution (1667-1668).
The Treaty of the Pyrenees is a critical moment in European history, as it signaled the decline of Spanish dominance and the rise of France as a major power under Cardinal Mazarin and Louis XIV, laying the groundwork for the later "Age of Absolutism."
The Royal Mint of Belgium, Federal Public Service Finance, Fin Shop Sale (01.10.2021) Tinnen naslagen / Frappes en étain, Lot 264
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