Options
Benjamin Franklin Medal by Augustin Dupré
Iosephus
Posts: 872 ✭✭✭
Although of a (rather quite famous) American, this medal was engraved by a Frenchman and struck at the Paris Mint, so I suppose it fits into this forum.
Benjamin Franklin
by Augustin Dupré, 1786
Bronze, 45.8 mm Ø, 36.7 g
Obverse: Bust of Benjamin Franklin facing left. Around, BENJ. FRANKLIN NATUS BOSTON. XVII JAN. MDCCVI (Benjamin Franklin, Born in Boston January 17, 1706). On the truncation of the bust, DUPRE F. (Dupré Made It).
Within an oak wreath, the four line inscription ERIPUIT CŒLO / FULMEN / SCEPTRUM QUE / TYRANNIS (He Snatched the Lightning from the Heavens and the Sceptre from Tyrants). In exergue, SCULPSIT ET DICAVIT / AUG. DUPRE ANNO / MDCCLXXXVI (Augustin Dupré Engraved and Dedicated This in the Year 1786).
Benjamin Franklin was sent as a commissioner to Paris in 1776 to negotiate an alliance with France. Thanks in part to his modest dress and life, in contrast to the European aristocracy, Franklin became quite a popular figure and won great admiration. Even as early as 1777, Jean-Baptiste Nini created a series of terra-cotta portrait medallions of Franklin. Franklin returned to America in 1785.
This is actually the second medal engraved by Dupré to honor Franklin, the first one being produced two years earlier in 1784. While both medals share the same obverse die and the same reverse inscription, the earlier medal featured the image of a winged genius on the reverse, as opposed to the more pedestrian oak wreath found on this piece. However, far fewer examples of the earlier medal are known. Adams and Bentley note that this design seems to have supplanted the earlier one as the official version. When Thomas Jefferson requested an example of a Franklin medal from Dupré for the set in silver of Comitia Americana medals being assembled for George Washington, this is the design that was provided. Likewise, the five piece sets ordered from the Paris Mint in the early nineteenth century, which consisted of a Franklin medal and four Comitia Americana medals, contained this Franklin design. Adams and Bentley conclude that the 1784 medal was sponsored by a private friend (or group of friends), while the 1786 version was sponsored by Louis XVI.
An early "original" strike with a plain edge and witness line. All known examples have some amount of die rust on the obverse, though the amount on this example is significantly less than normally encountered, further bolstering the hypothesis of a very early striking date.
Provenance: Ex. John W. Adams collection; Ex. Ted Craige estate.
References: Adams-Bentley pp. 179-182; Betts 620
Benjamin Franklin
by Augustin Dupré, 1786
Bronze, 45.8 mm Ø, 36.7 g
Obverse: Bust of Benjamin Franklin facing left. Around, BENJ. FRANKLIN NATUS BOSTON. XVII JAN. MDCCVI (Benjamin Franklin, Born in Boston January 17, 1706). On the truncation of the bust, DUPRE F. (Dupré Made It).
Within an oak wreath, the four line inscription ERIPUIT CŒLO / FULMEN / SCEPTRUM QUE / TYRANNIS (He Snatched the Lightning from the Heavens and the Sceptre from Tyrants). In exergue, SCULPSIT ET DICAVIT / AUG. DUPRE ANNO / MDCCLXXXVI (Augustin Dupré Engraved and Dedicated This in the Year 1786).
Benjamin Franklin was sent as a commissioner to Paris in 1776 to negotiate an alliance with France. Thanks in part to his modest dress and life, in contrast to the European aristocracy, Franklin became quite a popular figure and won great admiration. Even as early as 1777, Jean-Baptiste Nini created a series of terra-cotta portrait medallions of Franklin. Franklin returned to America in 1785.
This is actually the second medal engraved by Dupré to honor Franklin, the first one being produced two years earlier in 1784. While both medals share the same obverse die and the same reverse inscription, the earlier medal featured the image of a winged genius on the reverse, as opposed to the more pedestrian oak wreath found on this piece. However, far fewer examples of the earlier medal are known. Adams and Bentley note that this design seems to have supplanted the earlier one as the official version. When Thomas Jefferson requested an example of a Franklin medal from Dupré for the set in silver of Comitia Americana medals being assembled for George Washington, this is the design that was provided. Likewise, the five piece sets ordered from the Paris Mint in the early nineteenth century, which consisted of a Franklin medal and four Comitia Americana medals, contained this Franklin design. Adams and Bentley conclude that the 1784 medal was sponsored by a private friend (or group of friends), while the 1786 version was sponsored by Louis XVI.
An early "original" strike with a plain edge and witness line. All known examples have some amount of die rust on the obverse, though the amount on this example is significantly less than normally encountered, further bolstering the hypothesis of a very early striking date.
Provenance: Ex. John W. Adams collection; Ex. Ted Craige estate.
References: Adams-Bentley pp. 179-182; Betts 620
0
Comments
A deserving one, though. Ben Franklin would've probably been cool about that and joked about his own homeliness.
I really like the wreath. And the history.
What's a "witness line"?
What's a "witness line"?
It's a very thin raised line that goes vertically across the edge of the medal, formed by where a two part collar is joined.
Virtus Collection - Renaissance and Baroque Medals
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
He may have not been so handsome, but, he was quite a hit with the ladies. Especially the young girls in "gay Paree." You can look it up.
Quite correct and he was also very cagey in "managing" his image to get positive attention and support for the colonies' cause. Today he probably would have been considered amongst the best PR wizards. And that was only one of his many, many skills/accomplishments.
A great medal of what might be considered the "first" true American (and my all time favorite founding father).
BTW, the musical 1776 gives an interesting portrayal of Franklin; might not be precisely historical but "feels" close to the man. Well worth checking out if your library stocks movies (and cheap on Amazon where I got mine)
BTW, the musical 1776 gives an interesting portrayal of Franklin; might not be precisely historical but "feels" close to the man.
Indeed, Howard Da Silva's performance as Franklin is, to me, the highlight of the film.
Virtus Collection - Renaissance and Baroque Medals