The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 Part 10

_Engravings._ (p. xlvii)

By M. Duvivier, Academician, engraver-general of the Moneys of France and of the Medals of the King.

294--In the same case and under the same number.

1. *** ...

2. *** ...

3. *** ...

4. Medal ordered by the United States of America in honor of the Chevalier de Fleury, for having distinguished himself at the taking of Stony Point, in 1779.

EXPLANATION of the Paintings, Sculptures, and Engravings of the Gentlemen of the Royal Academy, of which the Exhibition has been ordered, according to the intention of His Majesty, by the Count de la Billarderie d'Angeviller, Councillor of the King in His Councils, Master-of-Camp of Cavalry, Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis, Commander of the Order of Saint Lazare, Governor of Rambouillet, Director and Ordonnator-General of His Majesty's Buildings, Gardens, Arts, and Royal Academies and Manufactures; of the Royal Academy of Sciences.

PARIS.

From the Printing Office of the Building of the King and of the Royal Academy of Painting.

M.DCC.Lx.x.xIX.

With the privilege of the King.

_Engravings._

By M. Duvivier, engraver-general of the Moneys and of the Medals of the King.

1. *** ...

2. *** ...

3. *** ...

4. *** ...

5. Bust of General Was.h.i.+ngton, and on the reverse, Evacuation of Boston, 1776.

6 and 7. Medals for Colonel Was.h.i.+ngton and Colonel Howard.

These three medals are for the United States of America.

H

MINT OF THE UNITED STATES, Honorable Philadelphia, November 22, 1861.

William L. DAYTON, Minister of the United States at the Court of France.

Dear Sir: During the Revolutionary War, medals were awarded by resolution of the Continental Congress to certain officers who commanded the American forces in the princ.i.p.al conflicts with the enemy, or partic.i.p.ated therein. The dies for these medals were prepared in Paris, and the medals produced there. Several of the dies in question are understood to be in the possession of the Mint of Medals at Paris. As we have recently prepared, for (p. xlviii) distribution, bronze medals from the national medal dies in our country, it would be very gratifying if the American medal dies, at the French Mint, could be procured and the series made complete.

The medals that were prepared for us in Paris are interesting memorials of some of the most remarkable events in our history, and the appropriate place for the dies would appear to be in the National Mint of the United States.

May I request the favor of you to ascertain, from the proper official source, what medal dies, relating to events connected with the history of the United States, are at the mint in Paris, and whether the same can be obtained. If not, I should be glad to have, say twenty copies in bronze, struck from the dies, provided the expense would not be too great.

Inclosed I send you a list of the medals recently struck in bronze from the dies of a public character in our possession. It will be seen that it is deficient in medals of the Revolutionary era.

The following American medal dies are believed to be at the French Mint of Medals:

Was.h.i.+ngton before Boston.

General Wayne, for capture of Stony Point.

Colonel Fleury, for same.

Captain Stewart, for same.

Major Lee, for capture of Paulus Hook.

Colonel John Eager Howard, for Cowpens.

Colonel William Was.h.i.+ngton, for same.

Major General Greene, for Eutaw Springs.

Captain John Paul Jones, for capture of the Serapis by the Bonhomme Richard.

Your attention to the request contained herein will greatly oblige, Your friend and obedient servant, James POLLOCK, Director of the Mint.

To His Excellency, Legation of the United States, Monsieur THOUVENEL, Paris, December 10, 1861.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc., Paris.

Monsieur le Ministre: I have received from the Director of the Mint of the United States a letter (of which I annex a copy), calling me to procure a certain series of medals prepared in Paris to commemorate certain events in the history of the American Revolution.

These dies having been prepared in Paris, and the medals struck here, it is supposed the former yet remain in some safe depository.

If it is possible to procure the original dies, I am requested to do so; if that be not possible, I should be happy to learn if I can procure copies.

I avail myself of the occasion to renew to Your Excellency the a.s.surance of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be, Your obedient servant, W. L. DAYTON.

Monsieur DAYTON, Paris, le 17 janvier 1862. (p. xlix) Ministre des etats-Unis a Paris.

Monsieur: Par la lettre que vous m'avez fait l'honneur de m'adresser le 10 decembre dernier, vous m'exprimiez le desir d'etre mis en possession des coins d'un certain nombre de medailles commemoratives d'evenements de la guerre de l'Independance qui ont ete frappees a Paris. Monsieur le Ministre des Finances a qui j'avais du ecrire a ce sujet, me repond que le Musee Monetaire ne possede les coins que de quatre de ces medailles. La prise de Boston, la prise de Serapis, bataille de Cowpens--Was.h.i.+ngton, et bataille de Cowpens--Howard. Le musee ne pourrait se dessaisir de ces coins, mais il serait facile, moyennant une legere depense, de faire frapper de nouveaux exemplaires; il faudrait seulement, si la proposition etait agree par le gouvernement Federal, que vous me fissiez parvenir l'indication precise du nombre d'exemplaires de chacune de ces medailles qu'il desirerait obtenir.

Agreez les a.s.surances de la haute consideration avec laquelle j'ai l'honneur d'etre, Monsieur, Votre tres humble et tres obeissant serviteur, Pour le ministre et par autorisation, Le Ministre Plenipotentiaire Directeur, BANNEVILLE.

[Translation.]

Mr. DAYTON, Paris, January 17, 1862.

Minister of the United States, Paris.

Sir: By the letter which you did me the honor to address to me on the 10th of December last, you expressed to me the desire to obtain the dies of a certain number of medals, commemorative of events of the War of Independence, which were struck in Paris.

The Minister of Finance, to whom I had to write on the subject, replies that the Museum of the Mint possesses the dies of only four of these medals: the taking of Boston, the capture of the Serapis, the battle of the Cowpens--Was.h.i.+ngton, and the battle of the Cowpens--Howard. The museum cannot part with these dies, but it will be easy, at a small outlay, to have new copies struck; it will only be necessary, if the proposition is accepted by the Federal Government, for you to indicate to me the precise number of copies of each of these medals which it wishes to obtain.

Receive the a.s.surances of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be, Sir, Your very humble and very obedient servant, For the minister and by authorization, The Minister Plenipotentiary Director, BANNEVILLE.

To His Excellency, Legation of the United States, Monsieur THOUVENEL, Paris, January 23, 1862.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc., Paris.

Monsieur Le Ministre: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant in reference to the American medal dies. I avail myself of your kind offer to have copies struck from the original dies.

Be pleased to direct that twenty copies in bronze be struck (p. l) from such dies, with a diameter of two and one half inches. The expense will be met by this Legation immediately upon notice.