French Medal ID help please . . .

1960NYGiants

A co-worker asked me to help ID this medal he has. Is it rare? Valuable?

The edge is marked cuivre (copper) with what looks to be a leaf or bee mark? Diameter is 42mm. Looks to be 19th century, from the remarks about Russ' Nappy medal this is probably a restrike, yes?

Obverse by A. Bovy


Reverse "Societe Industrielle De Mulhouse" by Caque. F.


Thanks in advance,
Gene

elverno

Not in my books. I'll look it up in Forrer.

Actually the edge mark is the privy mark of the Paris mint at the time of the strike. Since this practise came into being around 1830 for silver medals and 1842 for copper any Napoleonic era strike with an edge mark MUST be a restrike. However a medal struck after those years would carry the appropriate edge mark for the era. It's probably a bee which would date it 1860-1880. After 1880 the mark has been a cornucopia for all medals and the metal. Since about 1950 the year has appeared as well.

Extremely rare Napoleonic restrikes say COPIE on the edge and date from the early 1830s. The dies of dozens of medals were owned by a man named Brasseaux and though he wasn't required to he asked the Paris mint to add the mark (only the mint had the equipment to strike medals). This prompted the mint to follow suit with the privy mark on their restrikes. Fortunately for Napoleonic medal collectors only about 5 years of restrikes are indistinguishable from originals. Even there the knowledgable collector has clues as the dark chocolate patina seen in your medal was unavailable. It originally was a naturally occuring coating that came from only one mine. That mine ran out in the early 1820s and the medals from about 1822 through 1845 are distinctly copperish in color. By the time of this medal the mint had perfected an artificial patina that rivaled the original one.

And one last point; from roughly 1818 when the Bourbons put all of the Napoleonic and Revolutionary dies in storage until Brasseaux started his business there were no restrikes at all. The changing political climate that brought about the July Monarchy also brought about permission to de-Stalinize Napoleon and the medals that honored him.

elverno

Forrer says that Antoine Bovy (Swiss) created a series of Angricultural and Industrial Societies (5 types) and places it between 1828 and 1830. Unless your edge mark looks like an ancient lamp it looks like it is a restrike after all!

Bovy was a naturalized Frenchman and worked for nearly 50 years at the Paris mint. Caque also worked there and it makes sense that they collaborated on such a piece. No idea about value.

dealmakr

Hi elverno,

Nice site for your medals. Would you happen to know where the volumes of British Historical Medals can be purchased?

regards,

dealmakr