- Museum number
- G3,IP.1101
- Description
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Silver medal. (whole)
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France, holding a sword in her right hand and a palm branch in her left hand. Rides over a rocky terrain in a chariot driven by Fame. Fortune is chained to the rear of the chariot and Victory flies down to place a laurel wreath on France's brow. The arms of Richelieu are visible on the banner hanging from Fame's trumpet. (reverse)
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Bust of Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu, right, wearing a biretta. (obverse)
- Production date
- 1630
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 74.50 millimetres (excluding rim)
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Diameter: 76.000 millimetres
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Weight: 154.35 grammes
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Jones 2
The clear indication of the reverse, that it was Richelieu who was responsible for the successful conduct of French policy, shows a remarkable degree of lèse-majesté - especially when (as in registration no. 1906,1103.1370) this reverse is combined with a portrait of the King.
This seems to be an original example of the medal. The field on both obverse and reverse has been extensively chased and the medal appears at some stage to have been set, in a way which crushed the border at the top and bottom of the medal. This piece, like the registration no. 1906,1103.1755, and the silver example of this medal in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, seems to be made from two silver plates joined together.
Other examples:
(a) Cabinet des Médailles, Bibliothèque Nationale, 58 rue de Richelieu, 75084 Paris, France (BN, Paris), Sér. Icon. Fr. 4018, cast and chased. Two silver plates joined together. 76 mm (75 mm excluding rim).
(b) BN, Paris, Sér. Icon. Fr. 4023 cast gilt bronze, pierced, 75 mm (74.5 mm excluding rim).
(c) Albert I Royal Library, Brussels (Brussels), bronze, 71.5 mm. Aftercast, reworked with floral background.
(d) Brussels, bronze, 76.5 mm.
(e) Hague, bronze, obverse gilt, 76.5 mm (74.5 mm excl. rim).
(f) Hague, bronze, 73.5 mm (72.5 mm excl. rim). Reverse only.
(g) Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011, USA, Molinari no. 250, bronze, 77 mm. Aftercast.
(h) National Gallery of Art, 6th Street and Constitution Avenue, Washington DC, 20565, USA, Kress 57a, bronze, pierced, 78 mm.
(i) Dept. of Coins and Medals, Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, bronze.
(j) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 1877.5, bronze, 75 mm, with loop.
(k) The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia (Hermitage), inv. no. 180, bronze, 73 mm loop.
(l) Hermitage, inv. no. 180, bronze, 73 mm loop.
(m) Sammlung von Medaillen, Münzen und Geldzeichen, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, bronze.
(n) National Gallery of Canada.
(o) Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 (V&A), A736-1910 (Salting Bequest), bronze, 77 mm.
(p) V&A, 526-1864, bronze. Aftercast.
(q) Civici Musei, Brescia, Italy, bronze, 75mm.
(r) National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, bronze, 75mm.
Bibliography:
1. J. de Bie Les familles de la France pl. 45 no. 25. Reverse only. Same legend and date and a similar composition but with Louis in the chariot etc. Also a different size.
2. Recueil des médailles c.1685 p. 32.
3. Museum Mazzuchellianum II pl. 108 no. 1.
4. T.N. Med. Fr. II pl. 21 nos. 2, 3.
5. Rizzini II p. 97, no. 8.
6. Mazerolle Varin I no. 5.
7. F. Pény Jean Varin de Liège no. 6. Obverse only.
8. Pollard Kress no. 575a.
9. Salton no. 84.
10. Ciechanowiecki nos 165, 166.
11. Molinari no. 250.
- Location
- On display (G46/dc12/p2/no3)
- Acquisition date
- 1825
- Department
- Coins and Medals
- Registration number
- G3,IP.1101
- C&M catalogue number
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MF2 (Jones 2) (191) (182)
