Description
GREAT BRITAIN 1814 Battle of Toulouse 41mm copper medal 38.43 grams, from the 1820 by R. Gayrard and N.G.A. Brenet for the Mudie National Series, (Mudie 26, BHM 789, Eimer 1042, Wellington 37)
Obverse: head of Britannia facing left in a Corinthian helmet, BRITANNIA
Reverse: The Duke of Wellington standing beside a military trophy holds a captured French standard and wreath, BATTLE OF TOULOUSE / X APRIL MDCCCXIV D.
James Mudie's series of forty "National Medals" was produced in 1820 and manufactured by Sir Edward Thomason in Birmingham, England. The medals celebrate British triumphs in the Napoleonic wars over the French spanning a 20 year period, from 1797 to 1817. They serve as a counter to the numerous, officially issued French medals glorifying the battles and events of Napoleon's reign. They are the same size, 41 millimeters as the official Napoleonic medals, and most of the dies were produced in France.
Raymond Gayrard (1777 -1858) was a French medallist and sculptor. He studied under Boizot, Taunay and Geoffroy. His son, Joseph Raymond P. Gayrard was also a sculptor.
Nicolas-Guy-Antoine Brenet (c1770 - 1846) was a French medallist, and pupil of Girod and Gatteaux. From 1808 onward he was employed producing a large quantity of commemorative medals of French historical events that occurred under the Empire, the Restoration and the July Monarchy, and almost surprisingly by John Mudie for his “National Series”.
