Medal - Saxon Union Days Silver-plated cast tin

Reverse

Coat of arms of Transylvania. 20 busts of princes of Transylvania in circular medallions around, arranged in two concentric circles. In the inner circle, clockwise: Princess Catherine of Brandenburg facing right; Prince Stephen Bethlen facing right, wearing hat with feather; Prince George I Rákóczi facing right, wearing hat with feather; Prince George II Rákóczi facing right, wearing hat; Prince Francis Rhédey de Kis-Rhéde facing right, wearing hat and sceptre; Prince Ákos Barcsay facing right; Prince John Kemény facing right, wearing hat; and Prince Michael I Apafi facing right, wearing hat with feather. In the outer circle, clockwise: King John Zápolya facing left, wearing crown; Emperor Ferdinand I, facing right, wearing crown; King John II Sigismund Zápolya facing left, wearing hat; Voivode Stephen Báthory facing right, wearing hat with feather; Voivode Christopher Báthory facing right; Prince Sigismund Báthory facing right; Prince Andrew Báthory, front-facing, wearing hat and crosier; Emperor Rudolf II facing right, wearing laurel wreath; Prince Stephen Bocskai facing right, wearing hat; Prince Sigismund Rákóczi facing right, holding mace; Prince Gabriel Báthory facing right, holding mace; and Prince Gabriel Bethlen facing right, wearing hat with feather.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
SIEBENBÜRGEN
✶ 1538 - 1690 ✶
JOHANN I. ZAPOLYA 1538-1540
FERDINAND I. 1551-1556
JOHANN II: SIGISM ZAPOLYA 1556-1571
STEPH. BATHORI 1571-1575
CHRIST. BATHORI 1576-1581
SIGISM. BATHORI 1581-1602
ANDREAS BATHORI 1599
RUDOLPH II. 1588 & 1602-1605
STEPH. BOCHKAY 1604-1607
SIGISM. RAKOCZI 1607-1608
GABRIEL BATHORI 1608-1613
GABRIEL BETHLEN 1613-1629
CATHARINA BETHLEN 1629-1630
STEPHAN BETHLEN 1630
GEORG RAKOCZI 1630-1648
GEORG RAKOCZI II. 1648-1660
FRANZ RHEDEY 1657-1658
ACHATIUS BARCSAI 1658-1660
JOHANN KEMENY 1661
MICHAEL APAFI 1661-1690

Engravers: Johann Schwerdtner, Adolph Resch

Comment

These medals were probably issued to the attendants of the Transylvanian Saxons' Union Days in Kronstadt (modern-day Brașov, Romania) in 1886. The union was probably responsible for production and minting. The medal was made in silver, red bronze, copper, brass, golden bronze, nickel, pewter, and tin.

The medal is an example of the affirmation of the Transylvanian-Saxon identity in Austria-Hungary, in a difficult time of widespread rigid Magyarization policy. Since 1867, the exclusive use of the Hungarian language was imposed in the Hungarian half of the Habsburg Dual Monarchy. However, the Transylvanian Saxons were mostly able to keep the German language and their identity due to the social position of the Lutheran Church and the powerful trade associations and guilds, as well as the Foundation of the National University (Stiftung der Nationsuniversität).