Description
France 1843 Glorification of Steam Travel 52.6mm bronze medal 74.44 grams by Armand Auguste Caqué and Pierre-Amédée Durand a few edge knocks
Obverse: Port broadside view of a two-masted paddle steamer under sail, a lighthouse in the distance, A LA GLOIRE DES SAVANTS ET DES INDUSTRIELS 1843 (trans: To the glory of the servants and men of industry) LA PUISSANCE DE LA VAPEUR BRAVE LE CALME DES MERS AFFRONTE LES VENTS CONTRAIRES ET DOIT PORTER LA CIVILISATION DANS TOUT L'UNIVERS (trans: The power of steam braves the calm of the sea, faces contrary winds and should extend civilization throughout the world.)
Reverse: A locomotive under steam drawing a passenger coach and a baggage van; a town, hills and lake in the distance and another train crossing a viaduct; above Fame flying. LE GÉNIE DES CHEMINS DE FER, APPLANIT (sic) LES MONTAGNES, COMBLE LES VALLONS . FRANCHIT LES RIVIÈRES, ET FACILITE LES TRANSACTIONS COMMERCIALES ENTRE LES PEUPLES (trans: (The genius of the railway levels the mountain, fills the valley, leaps the river and facilitates commercial transactions between peoples.)
Edge: Antique Prow privy mark (Paris Mint) BRONZE
The complete list of French privy marks is listed below.
Antique Lamp (Lampe Antique) . March 1832 – October 1841, Gold and Silver strikes.
Anchor and C interlaced (Ancre et C) , October 1841 – Sept. 1842. Bronze, Silver, Gold.
Prou Antique (Antique Prow) , 1842 – 1845.
Pointing Hand (Main Indicatrice) , June 1845- October 1860.
Bee (Abeille) , November 1860 – December 1879.
Cornucopia (Corne d'Abondance) , Jan. 1, 1880 – present.
Cornucopia plus date of actual striking, 1966 – present.
Pierre-Amédée Durand (1789-1873) was a French sculptor, medalist and inventor. he became a pupil of Antoine Denis Chaudet, at the Beaux-Arts in Paris . He was awarded the first Prix de Rome in medal engraving in 1810. He devoted himself to sculpture and engraving, but was to later study mechanics. He is the inventor of the self-governing windmill.
Armand-Auguste Caqué (1793-1881) French engraver, medalist. Born Saintes, France, 1793. Employed at Hague Royal Mint 1817-1818. Appointed Chief Engraver to Napoleon III 1858-1881.
