elverno

1813 Bataille de Hanau, Austria. Br. 1273 d'Essling 1416 33mm Link A scarce jeton issued by the powers that were fighting against Napoleon. You might get the impression that those allies had been the victors but the truth is that the Bavarian Army, only recently defected from their French alliance, was swept aside by Napoleon and the Imperial Guard on their way back to France. This battle took place after the Battle of Leipzig that ultimately was the true defeat of Napoleon's dreams. The Allies were so hyped up after that win that they really didn't notice how badly they were whipped at Hanau.

1815 1 Pfenning, Bavaria 18mm Link My 2 1/2 year old grandson took this coin walk-about earlier today after it arrived. He's added bringing me all the coins he can find to his list of jobs. Unfortunately all coins apparently need to travel around the house before being brought to Poppie. I'm going to have to watch my desk more closely, at least I was able to find this one...

I bought tickets for the coin club's door prizes...

1963 Dollar, Canada I removed the dollar that was posted here because it went to a new home and I felt it's new owner should be able to post their own pics!

1803 ½ Skilling, Sweden 30mm Link 1791 20 Kreuzer, Salzburg 28mm Link

1812 Proclamation in Cadiz of the Constitution, Spain 56mm Link This one wasn't cheap! RRRR, first one on the market in silver in nearly 80 years.

1808 Soldo Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy 27mm Link 1807 6 Kreuzer, Bavaria 20mm Link 20mm Link

1811 Centesimo, Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy 23mm Link

1812 8 Maravedis, Spain (?) 30mm Link First does anyone know if the "J" to the left of the bust is a mintmark? If so, which mint? My wife apparently decided my beat-up old Krause sitting next to my desk was there to be thrown away... Kind of a shame there's no good way to clean something like this. Even in bad shape it's a tough coin. The guy on eBay didn't say so but I'd guess a coin detector find.

1804 King George III: Laudatory Medal, Great Britain BHM 555 24mm Link RRR

340(?) Roman Empire Another from a period I don't collect. The flip said Constantius II but no denomination.

1906 Cent, USA Not my usual period but I won it at coin club tonight.

1794 Death of Elisabeth-Philippe Marie-Hélène, France Hennin 621 Milan 108 31mm Link Struck in the German States, engraved by Loos. She was a sister of Louis XVI sent to the block about 15 months after her brother. Despite how she looks she was only a couple weeks away from her 30th birthday.

Wonderful coins! And thanks for the history, I always think that the context makes coins and medals much more interesting.

1833 Statue sur la colonne de la place Vendôme rétablie, France Bramsen 1907 23mm Link Louis Phillipe was forced by the events that threatened his throne to attempt to appease the Bonapartist party in France. One way was to re-establish Napoleon's statue on a column in the place Vendôme in Paris. It had been pulled down after Napoleon's fall by the Bourbon government, or at least with its tacit approval.

1789 King George III Recovers his Health, Great Britain BHM 307 D&H Midx. 1130 21mm Link Technically a farthing but actually a medal. D&H said scarce, BHM says rare.

1808 L'Entrée a Madrid, France Laskey XCVII Bramsen 757 d'Essling 1217 40mm Link A horribly damaged medal. It commemorated Napoleon's entry into Madrid. When things started out badly for his army without him and the British took Madrid Napoleon gathered up his Guard and showed up in person. He scattered Spanish armies and forced the British army into a disasterous retreat. But politics at home caught up with him and he left the destruction of the British army to subordinates, a task they weren't up to. Napoleon never returned to Spain and the ulcer ultimately led to his downfall.

1808 Réunion de l'Etrurie a l'Empire, France Laskey XCII Brasmen 721 d'Essling 1205 41mm Link A medal that has been so harshly cleaned that at first I thought that it was a cast copy. But I'm fairly certain it is an original. But if there is a heaven for coins and medals that have been victims of coinslaughter this is one that should be there. Until then I'm giving it a home.

1808 The Battles of Rolica and Vimiero, Great Britain BHM 636 15mm Link This was part of a series of tiny medals released in a brass tube in 1815. It's certainly possible that the place names of the two battles have changed over the years but it's interesting that both have changed.

The Caroline is in particularly nice condition. Most French medals of this era have a certain amount of oxidation, usually on the highest points, even in the nicest of condition. When you have the Caroline in hand, and it's less than an inch across, you are left wondering how the engravers of the time with their relatively primitive equipment could produce such masterpieces. The photograph doesn't do this medal justice. There's a subtle toning that I can't seem to capture. I've tried the angled glass technique but then I find I lose the actual color of the field. With the current technique I'm using I get the color but lose the toning, the pics seem a bit flat for lack of a better word. I'm seriously considering sending a few of my more common examples to the NGC conservation group to see if they can handle removing the oxidation. I store the medals in oversized non-PVC flips but I suspect that previous owners didn't treat them as nicely. Like most of us I consider my collection a trust I hold for the future and feel that if it's possible to pass on to future collectors in the same shape as I received them that I'll have done my job. But there's so much PVC and other damage that they've been subject to that I'm hoping to pass on in better condition, or at least so that they won't deteriorate from where they are.

Yes, the engravers were classically trained and at least at the Paris mint had a huge coin cabinet of ancient coins to draw inspiration from. At the beginning of the French Revolution there was a fad that glorified Greek culture and particularly the era of the Roman Republic. Women wore almost see-through clothing in a style that was declared Greek though it almost certainly was because several of the leading ladies were apparently equipped to carry off the style... Men wore togas and had haircuts in the "Brutus" style. This took place up to and through the Terror. It must have been a weird and silly time. The fashions changed to the "Egyptian" style after Napoleon returned from that expedition and the effects of all those fads carried on for decades in medals, coins, furniture, clothing, theater, music, you name it.

1808 Bataille de Sommo-Sierra, France Laskey XCVI Bramsen 756 d'Essling 1216 41mm Link This is a medal with two great stories attached to it. One is numismatic. This is a plain-edged medal. Normally, in terms of a First Empire medal, that means it is an original strike. However, this one was struck nearly thirty years later. The clue is in the engraving in the reverse. Bramsen, who was as expert as anyone on the subject of Napoleonic medals, has a note at the end of his description. But he was wrong. Here's how I put it on my site when my good friend David Block let me know I had a restrike: "Fortiter's research indicates: "Bramsen, following Fellmann in the Tresor claims that the JEU. signature is apocryphal, that the die was actually cut by Brenet. Bramsen either did not read or did not understand the entry in the French mint catalog of 1892, which explains that the die by Jeuffroy was first used in England after 1815, that Brenet copied the die for the French mint (adding his signature to that of Jeuffroy). Thus French strikes will bear both signatures and date from after 1830." Thus, my example is one that illustrates a medal struck in the 1830-1842 period. At this time the edges of copper and bronze medals were plain-edged. Only research of the type indicated can definitely identify such a medal as opposed to an original pre-1815 strike." The second story is on the subject of the medal itself. I quote myself: "Sommo Sierra was the site of some of the greatest bravery exhibited during the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon was determined to capture Madrid and the Spanish Junta equally determined that he shouldn't get there without a fight. In his hurry to cross the Somosierra pass Napoleon neglected to properly assault the 16 cannon mentioned by Laskey and he began to get bogged down. Annoyed, he turned to Captain Korjietulski (or Kozietulski), commander of the Third Squadron of the Polish Light Horse, who were the current escort for the Emperor, and ordered them to take the position at the gallop. In a near suicidal charge, lasting only seven minutes, nearly 70% of the squadron became casualties. Actually, different authorities have different numbers involved and casualties suffered. One says 60 of 88 who charged (approx. 70%) while another says 82 of 150 (55%). Napoleon leaned over the bleeding body of Lt. Niegolewski who had captured a battery of guns with his troop and, removing his own cross of the Legion of Honor, pinned it on him. Forty-seven years later the Lieutenant would write, "would that many a youth might live to see such a day!" A second charge by two remaining squadrons was executed as part of a correctly coordinated attack on the position. With minimal losses the cannon were all captured. Napoleon typically failed to mention the first charge in his bulletin of December 2nd, 1808 but there is evidence that he never forgot the Poles' bravery and sacrifice. Napoleon later would award sixteen crosses of the Legion of Honor, ending the ceremony by taking off his hat and crying, "You are worthy to belong to my Old Guard. Honor to the bravest of the brave!""

You have a good eye. Yes, the Caroline was in one of the PCI's and did pretty well. I'm re-photographing my entire collection. This has the dual purpose of keeping me from spending all of my money on coins and medals and improving my picture taking skills at the same time. Just the process is teaching me all the things I didn't know to ask...

1808 Avoués de Villefranche, France Bramsen 815 d'Essling 2375 32mm Link This is a lawyer's token. The women represent Justice and France respectively. The oddly beautiful toning I believe is the result of an old lacquer job.

1808 Loge des Arts réunis à Rouen, France Bramsen 832 Edwards 446 Marvin XCIII d'Essling 2293 31mm Link These are reimages of the masonic medals I put into a previous thread. 1808 Loge des Cœurs unis, France Bramsen 829 Edwards 443 Marvin CXLVII d'Essling 2127 27mm Link 1808 Loge d'Isis, France Bramsen 828 Edwards 442 d'Essling 2126 27mm (tin) Link 27mm (bronze) Link The engraver Merlen's work was often cast rather than struck and this medal is an example. The copper or bronze piece may be a cast copy considering the crudeness of the work compared to the tin.