Received medal from faculty at Louvain
In 1716, Leeuwenhoek received an honorary medal from the University of Louvain in what was then the Spanish Netherlands, now Belgium. They addressed it to "the highly honoured and widely famous Mr. Anthony Leeuwenhoek" for his "never yet properly appreciated and celebrated discoveries in Natural Philosophy". 
The letter and medal were delivered via Delft brewer Gerard van Loon, recipient of the letter, on May 16, 1716. The receipt was recorded in a document prepared by Jacob van der Werff, notary.
An associated book of praise poems was published the following year.
Lauwerkranssen, gevlochten voor den heer Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, groot wysgeer, lidt der Koningklyke Gemeenschap te Londen.
Laurel wreathes, plaited for Mr. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, great sage, member of the Royal Society in London.
A week later on June 6, Leeuwenhoek replied:
Mr Gerard van Loon, barrister, has delivered to me an obliging letter of Your Honours, dated the 24th of May last, and a purse of gold cloth, within which a commemorative medal of silver rested in a little black case, one side of which showed my effigy and the other side an emblem, the town of Delft in the distance.
In 1731, van Loon featured this medal in his own Beschrijving der Nederlandsche Historiepenningen, source of the image on the right (click to enlarge).
ONA Delft inv. 2611, Jacob Van Der Werff, notary
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Op Huyde, den 3en Juny 1716 compareerde voor mij Jacob van der Werff notaris, bij den Hove van Holland, geadmitteerd binnen der Stad Delff residerende, ter presentie van de naar genoemde getuijgen D' Heeren Mr. Gerard van Loon, brouwer in de brouwerije vande Verkeerde Werelt binnen dese Stad, ende bekende dat, aan hem Hr comparant, was ter hand gecoomen een missive waar vande superscriptie was, aande hooghge-eerde en wijd beroemde Heer, de Heer Anthony Leeuwenhoek, enz. tot Delff onder couvert, met een silvere medailje synde aande eene zijde daarop gegraveert het beeltenisse van gemelten Heer Leeuwenhoek met dit omschrift “Anthony Leeuwenhoek Reg : Societ : Angl : Membr”, ende aande syde off op 't ruggestuk: de stad Delff in 't verschiet , met dit onderschrift “in tenui labor, at tenuis non gloria”, sijnde in een hoorne doosie van binnen met flueel bekleet in een goud geweven beursie hem Heer comparant, soo hij verklaart, toegesonden door de Heer Anthonij Cinck, professor Philosophiae, groot Domheer van Luyk, groot Canonicus van St. Pieters te Leuven, President in het collegie te Cranendonck, etc. etc., met schriftelijke bijvoeginge en ernstig versoek, ten eijnde hij Heer comparant de moeijten geliefden op sigh te nemen en van die goetheijd te sijn om gemelte missive, medailje, doosje, en beursje aan gemelten Heer Leeuwenhoek uijtde naam ende van wege hem Heer Cinck ende de verdere Heeren professooren der medicijnen en Philosophie te Leuven als een liberale gifte, te vereeren tot eene erkentenisse en bewijs hunner hooghagtinge voor sijn, Heer Leeuwenhoeks, nooijt volpreesen en beroemde ontdekkinge in de Natuijrcunde, welke voorz: missive, medailje, doosje en beursje, ingevolge van 't opgemelte versoek aan hem Heer Leeuwenhoek op 't verlij van dese door den Hr comparant is overhandigt geworden. Compareerde mede voor ons notaris en getuijgen den meergemelten Heer Anthonij Leeuwenhoek, woonende binnen Delff, dewelke verklaarde de voorz: missive, medalie, doosje en beursie op’t verlij van dese uijt hande vande Heer van Loon voornt: ontfangen en overgenomen te hebben, onde de gifte door geldte te Heeren professooren aan hem gedaan dankelijk te accepteeren, soo als hij deselve accepteert bij desen, bedankende wijders mede den Heer Mr. Gerard Van Loon voor sijne moeijten en goede sorge ontrent het verrigte van dese donatie gehad ende gedragen, scheldende deselve absoluijtelijk quijt bij desen, sonder dien aangaande ijtwes ’t alderminste te reserveren, en op dat van dese daar en soo ’t vereijst mogte werden bleeken, soo verklaarde sij comparanten hier van kennisse gedragen, mitsgaders instrumente gemaakt ende gelevert te werden in forma. Aldus gedaan en verleden binnen de stad Delff, ter presentie van Frederik Matie ende Rutgerus van Brienen, beijde als getuijgen hiertoe versogt. Gerard van Loon Jacob Vander Werff, nots. |
On today, the 3rd June 1716 appeared before me, Jacob van der Werff, notary admitted by the Hove van Holland, residing in the city of Delft, in the presence of the named witnesses, Mr. Gerard van Loon, brewer in the brewery Verkeerde Werelt in this city, and known that to him appearing had come to hand a letter of which the superscript was, to the highly honored and widey famous sir, Mr. Anthony Leeuwenhoek, etc., to Delft under cover with a silver medal having engraved on the one side the image of Mr. Leeuwenhoek with this written around the edge "Anthony Leeuwenhoek, Reg: Societ: Angl: Membr" and on the other side or on the back piece: the city of Delft in the distance, with under it written "“in tenui labor, at tenuis non gloria”, being in a horn box lined with velvet in a gold woven purse [he here appeared] so he declared, sent by Mr. Anthonij Cinck, philosophy professor, great canon of Luyk, great canon of St. Pieters in Leuven, president of the college in Cranenbonck, etc., etc, with the written addition and serious request,he appeared, the gentleman, to take on the difficulties of loved ones and to be of that kindness to be for the mentioned letter, medal, box, and purse to the mentioned Mr. Leeuwenhoek in the name of and because of him Mr. Cinck and the further professors of medicine and philosophy in Leuven as a liberal gift, to honor with an acknowlegement and proof of their highly esteem for his, Mr. Leeuwenhoek's, never fully praised and famed discoveries in nature, which provided letter, medal, little box and purse, in consequence of the mentioned request has been handed over to him Mr. Leeuwenhoek in the carrying out of this by the gentleman appearing. Appeared before us notary and witnesses the more mentioned Mr. Anthonij Leeuwenhoek, living in Delft, who declared that he has received and took over the previously mentioned letter, medal, little box and purse [op 't verlij] from the hand of Mr. van Loon, [onde de gifte door geldte] to the gentlemen professors to him done to gratefully accept, so as he accepted the same by this, thanking [wijders mede] the gentleman Mr. Gerard van Loon for his difficulty and good care around the [verrigte] of this gift had and [gedragen, scheldende] the same absolutely [kwijt] by this, without his ongoing [ijetwes] it at least to reserve, and on that of this there en so it [vereijst] might be [bleeken], so declared those appearing here of knowledge [gedragen, mitsgaders] instrument was made and delivered in forma. This done and passed in the city of Delft, in the presence of Frederik Matie and Rutgerus van Brienen, both requested as witnesses hereto. Gerard van Loon Jacob Vander Werff, nots. |
