1807 Au plus grand héros, France
Bramsen 680
Edwards 312
Milan 616


24mm Link

A small jeton that commemorated the victories of 1807. This is the sort of thing that a family member of a soldier might purchase to remind them of their loved ones' efforts.

A second example with a slight obverse variant:


24mm Link

1807 Société des enfants d'Apollon, France
Bramsen 703
Edwards 324
d'Essling 2113
Milan 625


29mm Link

Roughly the Academical Society of the Children of Apollo. I have no idea what the Society actually did.

1807 Xavier Bichat, France
Bramsen 695
Edwards 318
d'Essling 2112
Milan 623
Julius 1824


28mm Link

From Edwards:
"MARIE-FRANÇOIS-XAVIER BICHAT was born at Thoirette, in the department of the Jura, on the 11th of November 1771. He began his studies of anatomy and of operative medicine at Lyons and went to Paris to continue them. In the winter of 1797 he delivered his first course of lectures on anatomy. After numerous and diversified labours he published in succession his Treatises on the Membranes, on Life and Death, and on General Anatomy, (Traité des Membranes, Traité sur la Vie et la Mort, and Anatomic Générale); works which raised his reputation to its zenith. He was made physician to the Hôtel Dieu at Paris at the age of 29, and had published two volumes of his Anatomic Descriptive (having also commenced the third) when he died, July 22nd, 1802, of the consequences of a fall."

And from Wikipedia.

1807 La Victoire du 14 Juin, France
Bramsen 633
d'Essling 1166
Laskey LXXXV


41mm Link

The battles of Friedland and Eylau were the critical ones of the 1807 campaign against Russia. The Russians proved to be difficult opponents and arguably beat Napoleon at Eylau. Friedland in 1807 and Marengo in 1800 both took place on June 14th. These "coincidences" happened more often than many people realize. For instance Austerlitz took place exactly one year after Napoleon's coronation. Napoleon was a man of his time and believed in the power of Luck and the value of auspicious days.

1807 Le Grand Duché de Varsovie, France
Laskey LXXXIX
Bramsen 653
d'Essling 1199


40mm Link

Laskey's commentary was:
"A medal struck by order of the French Government on the erection or restitution of the Grand Duchy of Varsovie (or Warsaw,) under the auspices of the Emperor of the French; at the peace of Tilsit between France and Prussia, among other domains, the greater part of Prussian Poland was ceded to the French, who gave it, under the title of the Duchy of Warsaw to the elector of Saxony, who then took the title of king of Saxony.
The superscription on the exergue of the reverse, alludes to Otho III. who first made the Empire of Germany elective, A. D. 996, and Boleslaus, who was the first king of the Poles, A. D. 999, and Frederico Augusta, who was now designated by the title of king of Saxony by Napoleon."

1807 L'Aigle Couronnée, France
Laskey XCV
Bramsen 674
d'Essling 1189


40mm Link

During the glory years, such as 1807, the government of France would order a medal struck to commemorate the French Army's victories. This one commemorated 1807.

1807 Les Aigles Françaises sur la Vistule, France
Laskey LXXX
Bramsen 620
d'Essling 1160


40mm Link

The young woman represents the River Vistula. You get the impression that the artist had very little experience engraving nudes. This medal commemorates the crossing of the Vistula by the French Army on its way to Friedland and Eylau.

1807 Occupation des Trois Capitales, France
Laskey LXXXVI
Bramsen 634
Edwards 277
d'Essling 1167
Milan 601


40mm Link

The three capitals of Prussia; Berlin, Warsaw and Kœnigsberg were occupied as the result of the Campaigns of 1806 and 1807.

1807 Slavery Abolished, Great Britain.
d'Essling 1204


36mm Link

I was told just in the past few days that this was produced c.1814 for use as a coin in Sierra Leone. The Arabic instription on the reverse apparently translates to:
"Sale of slaves prohibited in 1807 Christian era, in the reign of George the Third; verily, we are all brothers."

If anyone has a better translation and can verify the Sierra Leone connection I'd appreciate hearing about it. It's an oddly discolored example on the obverse. I suspect a lacquer job has peeled back but it's difficult to tell even with the hires photos.

1807 Bataille de Friedland, France
Bramsen 632
Laskey LXXXIV
d'Essling 1165


40mm Link

This is a medal that a dealer desperately tried not to sell me. I was a new collector of Napoleonic medals and he tried for about 20 minutes to explain the significance of restrikes vs originals and how to tell the difference. I had bought 7 originals from him that day so he probably really thought I should "get it"; but I didn't until later. This is a restrike from 1846-1860; distinguished from a First Empire original by the presence of hallmarks on the edge. Of course something engraved and struck for the first time from 1846-1860 would have the same edge marks. But in that case it would establish its originality. Original First Empire strikes have no edge markings at all.

The Battle of Friedland is one that set the balance straight, at least as far as Napoleon was concerned, after the disasterous "victory" at Eylau four months before. But there was no doubt after Friedland; Russia could no longer fight Napoleon. It was to be five years before they tested each other again.

1807 Route de Nice à Rome, France
Laskey XCIV
Bramsen 690
d'Essling 1202


41mm Link

Laskey really didn't know why this medal was struck. In all likihood it was because Napoleon had ordered improvements to this road. But Laskey had this to say:

"The allegory on the reverse of this medal seems to imply, by the foot of Fortune resting on the sea, that she has conducted him through the passages of the dreary deep; and, by her right foot being placed on the level of the rocky shore whereon she sits, that by her assistance, he was relanded in safety (at Frejus) on his return. Her right hand being placed on the mountain top, we presume to think alludes to his good fortune in being enabled, by her assistance, to pass with his army the almost insurmountable obstacle, the great St. Gothard, whereby he atchieved that ever renowned battle, Maringo. The exergue denotes the place of his departure (Nice) on his going to Rome, for the purpose of taking possession of that city and the ecclesiastical states; or the whole of the reverse may probably allude to his route over dreary mountains and rapid rivers during this peregrination. We merely hazard the above conjectures from the great difficulty we have met with throughout, in attempting to elucidate the precise meaning of the artist."

1807 Olivier de Serres, France
Bramsen 696
Edwards 320
d'Essling 2115


30mm Link

Edwards said:
"OLIVIER DE SERRES, Lord of Pradel, was born at Villeneuve-de-Berg, in the Vivarais, in 1539. In 1600 he published his Théâtre d'Agriculture, a worthy monument of a man who has been called the Patriarch of French agriculture. He died on the 2nd of July, 1619."

Why the Paris medal mint chose him as a subject can probably be guessed. France was under a severe embargo and food was scarce. Napoleon encouraged agricultural innovation as much as possible.

This isn't a very good example but they seldom show on the market. It was holed at 12 o'clock (on the edge) probably after the botched attempt on the reverse.

wow they are very nice . The craftmanship is superb

1807 Bataille d'Eylau, France
Laskey LXXXI
Edwards 272
Bramsen 628
d'Essling 1163
Milan 597


40mm Link

This is a highly unusual medal because it has a huge laminate error on the reverse. The Paris mint was, and is, a very professional organisation. They very seldom produced errors, at least ones that survived to be collected.

The Battle of Eylau was one of the bloodiest of the Napoleonic Wars. Fought in a raging snowstorm entire divisions stumbled into combat mere yards from each other before engaging. The Russian Army lost 30,000 men and the French Army about the same. Napoleon seriously considered retreat for the first time in his career. Lieutenant-General d'Hautpoul led the second division of Cuirassiers from the front, the famous cavalry charge that cut through the whole Russian army. d'Haultpoul was killed in the charge. The result demoralized the Russian leadership who ordered a retreat in the night leaving the battlefield to Napoleon: and, in the mindset of the times, with the victory.

1807 Le Simplon, France
Laskey XCIII
Bramsen 688
d'Essling 1201


41mm Link

The Swiss canton of Valais had within it or next to it the three main passes through the Alps. The Simplon is one of those passes and Napoleon annexed the canton, changing its name to Simplon, esstentially in the name of national security. These passes were terrifying affairs. In the medal you can see troops inching their way up steep roads and sudden switchbacks.

Wow! Fantastic piece.

1807 Séjour à Ostérode, France
Laskey LXXXII
Bramsen 631
d'Essling 1164


40mm Link

Laskey said:
" Of this medal, but little explanation more than is found on its face, is necessary here. Napoleon having rested at Ostérode, gave rise to its being struck by order of the French government.
The head of Fabius on the reverse evidently alludes in a degree to some part of the events in the life of Napoleon. Q. Maximus Fabius, from a dull and unpromising childhood, burst at once into deeds of valour and heroism, and was gradually raised by merit to the highest offices of the state. In his first consulship he obtained a victory over Liguria, and the fatal battle of Thrasymenus occasioned his election to the Dictatorship; in this important office, he began to oppose Hannibal, not by fighting him in the open field, like his predecessors, but he continually harassed his army by countermarches and ambuscades, for which he received the surname of Cunctator or Delayer. Such operations, for the commander of the Roman armies, gave offence to some, and Fabius was even accused of cowardice. He died in his 100th year, after he had been five times Consul, and twice honoured with a triumph."

WOW !!!

The 1807 Les Aigles Françaises sur la Vistule and the 1807 La Victoire du 14 Juin are superb !!!

My, there are some real gems in your collection!

1807 Paix et commerce, France
Bramsen 683
Edwards 310
d'Essling 1197
Milan 618


31mm Link

A silvered copper restrike from post-1880. The hardware would never have been put on such a medal, at least as contemporary.