The Guise Castle has a turbulent history of ownership between the English, Spanish, and French. Although the majority of its history was spent under the control of the French, there was a constant threat from Spaniards eager to obtain the castle. This medal celebrates France’s victory over Spain in 1650, when Spain launched its final attempt to capture the castle, largely under the leadership of the Duke of Lorraine, a loyal ally to Louis XIV. Accepting the credit for the victory, however, Louis XIV integrated this moment into his uniform series to illustrate France’s continued triumph over Spain. Translation from the Medailles sur les principaux evenements du regne entier de Louis le Grand, pg. 31: The Lifting of the Siege of Guise, 1650 As sedition seemed to increase in Guyenne, the King had gone there at the beginning of the year with a corps of his best troops. The Spaniards thought the occasion favorable; they advanced thirty thousand men to Picardy, seized Catelet and Capelle, and laid the siege before Guise. The city withstood their attacks for ten days, giving the Marshal of Plessis-Praslin time to assemble troops, and to approach the lines. Seeing him, the besiegers redoubled their efforts. On the night of June 26-27, they made two simultaneous attacks; they entered the place by two gates, and even breached the counterscarp, but at daybreak they were driven out. The Marshal, informed that the enemy was short of food and ammunition, focused on preventing the passage of convoys, and on the 29th, having seen one of them appear on the field of La Capelle, he dispatched it, despite an escort of three hundred musketeers and ten squadrons. Two days later, the Spanish force was significantly reduced, and was forced to lift the siege. This is the subject of this medal. The city of Guise, represented by a crowned woman, leaning on a shield, presents a crown to the god Mars. At the feet of Mars we see munitions of war and food. The legend HISPANORUM COMMEATU INTERCEPTO, means the Convoys were intercepted from the Spanish. The exergue GUISA LIBERATA I. JULII M. DC. L. : Guise rescued the I of July 1650.