Rooster jeton

Tessin had this silver medal struck in 1750. It was engraved by Daniel Fehrman (1710–1780). Fehrman was a student of medal artist J. C. Hedlinger and, since 1760, the royal medal engraver appointed by King Adolf Frederick.

The rooster in the medal depicts Count Tessin. The Count had the medal struck to commemorate a situation in which he apparently surprised maids of honour Catharina Charlotta Taube, Henrika Juliana von Liewen, Ernestine von Grisheim, Charlotta Fredrika Sparre and sisters Agneta Margareta and Ulrika Strömfelt when they were scantily dressed. The French text in the medal was translated into Swedish as “Små höns! när han får se så täck och retand’ kulle, Det vor’ en fanders tupp, som då ej gala skulle.” The subject originally appeared in 1747 in a painting commissioned by Tessin from artist Johan Pasch the Elder. In the painting, the rooster stands behind the hens, and the inscription is on the frame. Apparently, Tessin gave the painting to himself for Christmas. The painting is part of the collections of the National Museum of Sweden.