DUVIVIER, Jean: France, 1727, Bronze, 42 mm
Obv: Bust of Louis XV (r)     LUDOVICUS XV. REX CHRISTIANISS.
Rev: Mars and Minerva join hands in front of a olive tree, on the branches of which are suspended the shields of the Holy Roman Empire, France, Spain, England and Holland     SPES PACIS ÆTERNÆ FUNDATA. (The Hope of a Perpetual Peace Established).
Exergue: PRÆ VIIS CONDITIONIBUS SACITIS LUT. PARIS. XXXI. MAII. MDCCXXVII (The Preliminaries Concluded at Paris, 31 May, 1727).
Signed: DU VIVIER. F.
Ref: MI, ii, 473/90; Van Loon Suppl. V, 49

Before the Peace of Paris of 1727, Charles VI, the Holy Roman Emperor, was allied with King Philip V of Spain.  But in 1725, with George I of England  growing concerned about a potential conflict with Spain, the Treaty of Hanover was signed, linking England with France, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark together in opposition to Spain. The Emperor, to increase his own security, resolved to sacrifice Spain, and after a short negotiation, preliminaries of peace were signed at Paris on the 31th of May, 1727, between the Emperor and England, France, Holland and Spain. This Peace of Paris is the event commemorated by this medal. In it the Emperor agreed to confirm all the treaties previous to 1725 and to refer any other discussion to a general conference. These preliminaries were signed by the Spanish ambassador at Vienna, but they were not ratified by Philip V of Spain. (M.I.)

This is one of the official medals of Louis XV.