1811 Naissance du roi de Rome, France
Bramsen 1102
d'Essling 1344


18mm Link

Napoleon and Marie-Louise produced a child in near record time. He was named King of Rome, probably to the chagrin of Eugene who was Viceroy of Italy at the time. The reverse of this medal was engraved in 1809 at the time France annexed the Papal States. This is a restrike dating from 1845-1860, meaning there is a pointing hand and CUIVRE on the edge.

Bramsen 1092
d'Essling 1337
Laskey CXXIV
Milan 754


14mm Link


14mm Link

Bramsen 1100
Laskey CXXIII
d'Essling 1336


32mm Link

Bramsen 1091
d'Essling 1335
Laskey CXXII


41mm Link

The final step before hardening the dies of a new medal was striking it in lead, as in this example.

Laskey CXX
Bramsen 1099
d'Essling 1343


41mm Link

1811 Eau clarifée, France
Bramsen 1146
d'Essling 2152


27mm Link


27mm Link

These tokens allowed you to fill buckets of pure water.

1811 The Duke of Gloucester elected Chancellor of Cambridge University, Great Britain
BHM 710


48mm Link

Though listed as a fairly common medal this is the only example I've ever seen. Maybe they're more common in the UK.

1811 Battle of Arroyo Del Molino, Great Britain
BHM 720


15mm Link

Part of a set of tiny brass medals issued in 1815 in a brass tube. This battle is so obscure that I suspect someone involved in the creation of these medals must have participated.

1811 Commerce de vin de Paris, France
Bramsen 1089
d'Essling 2151


34mm Link

This jeton is struck in brass, extremely rare if it were an original. However the indistinct detail appears to be the result of a later copy rather than wear.

1811 Bataille d'Albuera, Great Britain
Mudie XVIII
Bramsen 718
d'Essling 1365


41mm Link

One of Mudie's National Medals series issued in 1820. This was one of the deadliest battles of the Peninsular War. The two armies faced each other within 50 feet across an uncrossable arroyo. Each side began firing and the smoke grew so thick that neither could appreciate the extent of the destruction. Officers fell early and the men died in their ranks firing like automatons. In fact the British 57th Regiment became known as the "Die-Hards" from their colonel's dying words.

1811 Prix de l'Athénée de Vaucluse, France
Bramsen 1144
d'Essling 2366


42mm Link

This was a prize medal. They're actually pretty scarce engraved with a winner. These "blanks" are much more common.

1811 Loge de l'Orient de Madrid, France
Bramsen 1150
Marvin CCCXXXIV
d'Essling 2413


42mm Link

A RRR medal, perhaps one of five in private hands. This is a "military" masonic lodge, formed of officers of the French army stationed in Madrid and Spanish collaborators, generally from the aristocratic or business classes.

1811 Loge de St Jean, France
Bramsen 1148
Marvin CLXXXII
d'Essling 2154


28mm Link

1811 Bernadotte, prince royal de Suède Charles XIV, roi de Suède, Sweden
d'Essling 2648


39mm Link

The production strikes of this medal were silver, this is white metal or lead. This suggests either a trial strike or a later strike for a collector. Medals of Bernadotte as Prince Royal are extremely scarce. Depending on whether you are French or Swedish he was either a traitor or a patriot.

Side note: The Monnaie de Paris just issued a collector coin commemorating him. One side shows "Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte", the other side shows "Karl XIV Johan".
http://boutique.monnaiedeparis.fr/intersho...41239990000.jpg
http://boutique.monnaiedeparis.fr/intersho...41239990000.jpg

(Links only since the coin is not actually on topic in this forum.)

Christian