Description
FRANCE / United States 1867 Paris Exposition - Herring, Farrell & Sherman 50mm copper medal 62.6 grams
Obverse: Napoleon III facing left, NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR / H. PONSCARME F.
Reverse: EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLEDE MDCCCLXVII A PARIS / RECOMPENSES / HERRING FARREL & SHERMAN
Edge: Bee privy mark (Paris Mint) CUIVRE
Silas C. Herring manufactured a better safe and to demonstrate his product on the international stage set up at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. He challenged all European safe manufacturers to a fire test, and his offer was declined. He then put $1000 in the safe and announced that anybody who could open the safe could have the money. Nobody was successful in retrieving the money. At the 1867 Paris Exposition Universelle, Herring, Farel & Sherman of New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans won a bronze medal for fire and burglar proof safes. These 'Récompense' or rewards were for possibly attempting to open the safe in Paris.
Unfortunately the 1868 published illustration (which is not included) shows that the firms boasts were not to last.
