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France - 1808

Réunion de l'Etrurie a l'Empire

Obverse:

Head and Legend similar to the preceding.

Size:

41 mm.

Reverse:

Napoleon habited in armour of Roman costume; the imperial robe or paludamentum, fastened by a clasp, over his right shoulder, falls gracefully behind; in his left hand, the imperial staff; his right is stretched out towards a female, who is offering to him various emblems; as a laurel wreath, globe, compasses, limner's brushes, and a scroll, or code, probably of the laws: in the back-ground an altar, against which rests an antique lyre.

Legend:

BRENET F. DENON D.

Exergue:

REUNION DE L'ETRURIE À LA FRANCE MDCCCVIII.

Vern's Comments:

This is an example of the evils of cleaning coins. The French medals of this period were coated with an artificial patina, essentially painted a chocolate brown. This medal does not have the typical patina and, as you can see from the detail above, has been pitted and had the detail damaged by the cleaning that removed the patina. There is no repairing this damage unfortunately. I bought this medal seeing the damage but without realizing what I was looking at. I just thought that the poor color and fuzziness was a bad scan and didn't ask the right questions. What's worse, I bought three other medals with the same problem. Sigh... I'll upgrade them at some point.

Laskey actually dates this in 1807 but the other authorities, as well as the medal itself say 1808.

Laskey:

Napoleon having issued a decree, stating, that the kingdom of Etruria had ceased to be a kingdom, and that it had become a state of France by right of conquest and treaty, a medal was directed to be struck and issued from the national medal mint, to commemorate this event; when Maria Louisa, regent of Etruria, in the name of her infant son, was compelled to announce to her subjects the cession of that kingdom to Bonaparte as the sovereign of Italy; and on the 11th December, 1807, the French troops took possession of it.

Bramsen:

Bramsen - 721 Réunion de l'Etrurie à la France. (Brenet.)
NAPOLEON EMP. ET ROI. Tête laurée, à droite.	Rev: Napoléon, en costume romain, le bras droit étendu vers l'Etrurie, qui lui présente divers attributs des sciences et des arts. A ses pieds, une lyre adossée contre un autel.
	Exergue: REUNION DE L'ETRURIE À LA FRANCE MDCCCVIII.
Médaille, 40 mm. T.N. 25, 6; H. m. 42, 227; M.F. 373, 98.

d'Essling:

d'Essling - 1205 Réunion de l'Etrurie à la France. (Andrieu et Brenet.)
Tête de Nap. à dr.	R. L'Étrurie allant vers l'empereur.
(TN 25.6 - M. 227 - B. 721) Br. 41 mm.