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A couple from the Napoleonic era


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Here's a couple or three for Verne.

 

First the `Societe Philotechnique' (1795). Apollo obverse but remarkably similar to depictions of Napoleon at that time (?). The bee was a symbol Napoleon was particularly fond of. Not terribly sure that it was struck in 1795 or a bit later. No edge marking to indicate, but could have been struck anytime between 1795 and 1832.

 

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The second `Caisse D'escompte du Commerce' (1798) before being re- structured and subsumed into the Banque de France

 

963861.jpg

 

Society of Architects (not dated but circa 1793-5 just after Louix XVI had his head lopped by the revolutionaries). This `Minerva' design is often associated with freemasonry

 

961943.jpg

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They're all just wonderful!

 

The first one is probably 1800; Forrer lists two jetons by Andrieu for the Societe Philotechnique in that year as well as two heads of Apollo for 1797. I don't find them listed in Bramsen, Hennin or the Prince d'Essling. I'll hunt down my Julius and see if it's in there.

 

The second is definitely Hennin 822 who puts it in 1797 (pesky Republican calendar!)

 

I would agree that the third is certainly Masonic, though I don't see it in Marvin and it shouldn't date later than about 1801 or so with that reverse legend.

 

What a great group! :ninja:

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You're a "babe in toga" guy eh? :ninja:

 

Perhaps it's the "babe with tools" aspect. ;) As for bees, has anyone encountered the "Bee Lady" on eBay? Any coin or jeton with bees on it, she bids high. At least she used to. Might have given Ian a run for his money if he got the first (beautiful!) jeton there...

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They're all just wonderful!

 

The first one is probably 1800; Forrer lists two jetons by Andrieu for the Societe Philotechnique in that year as well as two heads of Apollo for 1797. I don't find them listed in Bramsen, Hennin or the Prince d'Essling. I'll hunt down my Julius and see if it's in there.

 

The second is definitely Hennin 822 who puts it in 1797 (pesky Republican calendar!)

 

I would agree that the third is certainly Masonic, though I don't see it in Marvin and it shouldn't date later than about 1801 or so with that reverse legend.

 

What a great group! :ninja:

 

Thanks mate. The references and ancilliary data are much appreciated . Your knowledge of things Napoleonic is second to none.

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You're a "babe in toga" guy eh? :ninja:

 

I guess that is true Vern, though Frank is right also, I like the social aspect of the tools etc. Anything that has historical info, tools, costumes, hairstyles etc and I am hooked, especially if it is on a medal.

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And here I revisit my ID-ing (such as it was) of number 1 and 3. They both show up in Hennin (how embarrassing) and if my poor ability to read French indicates anything may be somehow related.

 

#1 is Hennin 827 The Society appears to have waited until 1805 to actually release these jetons to its membership but placed the order for it and another few to be engraved in 1797. I could be totally wrong in my reading of this but that's what high-school French plus reading cereal boxes in British Columbia (the backs were printed in English and French side-by-side) as a kid would seem to indicate.

 

#3 is Hennin 829 It's a variety of 828 where Minerva's casque was decorated rather than plain. The notes would seem to say that it is something of a mule, the obverse being that of H. 696 and the reverse that of H. 830. Bernier was the engraver of the reverse and his work ended in 1797 though I'm not sure why. Forrer agrees on those dates and states that Bernier had a medal of 1797 with Minerva as its subject.

 

There's a long article for Hennin 826 about the Society and its decision in 1797 to produce a series of jetons to distribute to its membership. I'm sure for that reason Hennin placed them in 1797 since they all appear to be undated. In the last line of that article it says that the obverse of 826 (not one of these) will be muled with a reverse of Liberte, Egalite and refers the reader to 828 (or #3). In the same couple of pages Hennin says that 828-829 are mules of 696/830 (the 828 article) but contradicted it in the 826 article by saying the mule was 826/830.

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