Ian Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 I received my latest `Roty' in the mail just before Christmas. It was issued for the `Compangnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez' and commemorates the inauguration of the Suez canal in 1869. The `compagnie' itself was wracked with problems and corruption and required a bail -out by the French parliament to the tune of 600 million francs. Our modern day bankers should have learned from the mistakes but didn't (my one and only `political' comment for the year!) Louis Oscar Roty is probably most famous for his depiction of the Sewer (la semeuse) which adorned the obverse of France's silver coinage of the late 1890's early 1900's and again in the 1960's. His other engravings however are equally legendary and perhaps others may care to post examples of his work (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 Roty was one of the premier medallists and coin designers of his era, I really enjoy this medal and so many of his works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 Did he use that font on all his works? It stood out right away when I saw the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted December 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 This medal was struck to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 3rd republic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted December 27, 2009 Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 Does Marianne have a tear or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted December 27, 2009 Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 Beautiful pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted December 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 Does Marianne have a tear or what? Indeed she does. The obverse legend reads `the country does not forget' and refers to the humiliating defeat at Sedan in 1870 at the hands of the cunning Hun. The sentiment is symbolised by a solitary tear drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted December 27, 2009 Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 Indeed she does. The obverse legend reads `the country does not forget' and refers to the humiliating defeat at Sedan in 1870 at the hands of the cunning Hun. The sentiment is symbolised by a solitary tear drop. From my knowledge of history I would rather offer that it was not so much the "cunning Hun" that defeated the French as much as it was the French that defeated the French. On a personal note the Franco Prussian war had an effect on my family history, my great great grandfather was then a 13 year old boy living in Bremen. His father was moved by the Prussian militarism so much that he had decided he was no longer sending his boys to become cannon fodder for the Prussians. My great great grandfather with his 15 year old brother were shipped off to Hamburg and left on the ship "Oder" bound for New York. Several years ago I got to walk down the dockway where they left from. My great great grandfather hated the Prussians so much that he willingly sent my uncles back to fight the Germans in WWI, I have a newspaper article about it, and also one of my uncles WWI trenchcoats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmarotta Posted December 27, 2009 Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 Does Marianne have a tear or what? I believe so. The legend reads LA PATRIA NON IMMEMOR (The Fatherland Does Not Forget). The Third Republic was born in the capture of Napoleon III at Sedan during the Franco-Prussian War. The Germans forced a provisional republic until the conclusion of a peace treaty in 1871. Elections gave two parties of monarchists (Legitimatists and Orleanists) a combined majority, but they could not agree on a king and when they did, their choice Henry Duke of Chambourd, did not want to be mere constitutional monarch, so he turned it down. Even into 1875... 1877.... 1879 ... one constitutional crisis followed after another ... followed by the Boulanger and Dreyfus affairs... In 1894, President Sadi Carnot was assassinated by an Italian anarchist. LA PATRIA NON IMMEMOR later became a motto of the French underground which everyone in France joined but which somehow failed to evict the Germans or prevent (ahem) the deportation of Jews. On the other hand The Bank of France is wearing a battle helmet, finances being what they were at the time with the Panama swindles and all... According the Foundation et Musee Oscar Roty this Marianne in a helmet served for several medals: Ce modèle de République casquée réalisée pour le ministère de l'Intérieur fut très apprécié et repris pour de multiples prix et récompenses. Comme pour la médaille d'Honneur de l'Administration Pénitentiaire, la médaille de l'Instruction Primaire, l'inauguration de la Préfecture du Rhône en 1891, l'exposition de Hanoï de 1902, la médaille militaire de la campagne de Madagascar de 1895, la médaille commémorative du centenaire de la Banque de France en 1900 . Die Republik mit Helm wurde im Auftrag des Innenministeriums entworfen und mit zahlreichen Preisen und Prämien dotiert. Gleiches gilt für die Ehrenmedaille der Strafverwaltung, die Medaille der Grundschulen, die Medaille zur Einweihung der Rhône-Präfektur im Jahre 1891, die Medaille der Hanoi- Ausstellung ( 1902), die Militär-Medaille der Madagaskar-Kampagne 1895, die Gedenkmedaille zum hundertjährigen Jahrestag der Banque de France im Jahre 1900." High-res pic here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted December 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 On the other hand The Bank of France is wearing a battle helmet, finances being what they were at the time with the Panama swindles and all... According the Foundation et Musee Oscar Roty this Marianne in a helmet served for several medals: High-res pic here I'm not sure, but I am led to believe that the`tete casquee' of Marianne was engraved circa 1889-90. The example I have has a scene of the Paris Prefecture de Police reverse and was issued for the Public Health Authority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted December 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 From my knowledge of history I would rather offer that it was not so much the "cunning Hun" that defeated the French as much as it was the French that defeated the French. On a personal note the Franco Prussian war had an effect on my family history, my great great grandfather was then a 13 year old boy living in Bremen. His father was moved by the Prussian militarism so much that he had decided he was no longer sending his boys to become cannon fodder for the Prussians. My great great grandfather with his 15 year old brother were shipped off to Hamburg and left on the ship "Oder" bound for New York. Several years ago I got to walk down the dockway where they left from. My great great grandfather hated the Prussians so much that he willingly sent my uncles back to fight the Germans in WWI, I have a newspaper article about it, and also one of my uncles WWI trenchcoats. No matter what Louis Napoleon had going for him, military prowess wasn't part of his skill set and Sedan was the proof of that. Marianne's `tear' was certainly not being shed for Louis Napoleon's political demise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted December 27, 2009 Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 Enough of the Marianne in a helmet medals already Gees, an' I dunna own anys of the sorts because I squander me dosh on bawbees instayds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Some more pieces by Roty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Enough of the Marianne in a helmet medals already One look at my avatar should convince anyone that, to me at least, there is no such thing as too many helmeted Mariannes. Beautiful medals Ian, keep them coming... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Indeed 'cept I don't hae any in my clutches all the whiles. Roty certainly was a magnificent artist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted September 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 .....another silver Roty medal (27mm) added to my collection today. This one was issued in 1900 as a long service medal (30 years) to a certain Marcel Guillaume of the Paris Fire Brigade. There are two variants, one has the date 1900 on the reverse the other (this type) doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted September 27, 2011 Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 A great artist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 The collection just keeps growing & growing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.