Search in Feature Auction


CNG Bidding Platform

Information

Products and Services


Use Old Home Page

Feature Auction
CNG Feature Auction 114

Lot nuber 1153

FRANCE, Deuxième République. temp. Louis Napoléon. President, 1848-1852. Two (2) CU Medals (75mm, , 12h). Paris mint. Struck circa 1845-1851 (pointing hand).


CNG Feature Auction 114
Lot: 1153.
 Estimated: $ 3 000

World Medals, Copper

Sold For $ 1 800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Go to Live

FRANCE, Deuxième République. temp. Louis Napoléon. President, 1848-1852. Two (2) CU Medals (75mm, , 12h). Paris mint. Struck circa 1845-1851 (pointing hand). Croup includes the following:

(1) ‘Washington Before Boston’. Restrike CU Medal (69mm, 135.00 g, 12h). By Pierre-Simon-Benjamin Duvivier. GEORGIO WASHINGTON SVPREMO DVCI EXERCITVVM ADSERTORI LIBERTATIS, bust of Washington right; DUVIVIER PARIS. F. below bust; COMITIA AMERICANA in exergue / HOSTIBUS PRIMO FUGATIS, Washington on horseback speaks with four mounted officers beside several cannons from Fort Ticonderoga; in the background the Continental Army marches toward Boston and eight British ships sail in retreat; DUVIV on cannon barrel; BOSTONIUM RECUPERATUM/XVII MARTII/MDCCLXXVI in three lines in exegue. Edge: (pointing hand) CUIVRE. Baker 48D, Julian MI-1; Fuld 1-C

(2) ‘On the Construction of the Bibliothèque Ste. Geneviève’. CU Medal (69mm, 173.50 g, 12h). By J. Klagmann and D. Fournera. Personifications of Paris and France, each with respective bird at feet, supporting medallion of Louis Philippe set on tablet inscribed LOI DU 19 JUILLET 1843/LOUIS PHILIPPE REGNANT/MR. TESTE/MINISTRE DES TRAVAUX PUBLICS/ MR. VILLEMAIN/MINISTRE DE LINSTRUCTION PUBLIQUE J. KLAGMANN D. FOURNERA; below, ornate supporter with lamp of knowledge; astronomical symbols behind Paris; three stars behind France / Interior of the Bibliothèque Ste. Geneviève set on ornate entablature: VUE INTERIEURE DE LA BIBLIOTHEQUE STE GENEVIÈVE on cornice and LA PREMIERE PIERRE DE CE MONUMENT/A ÉTÉ POSÉE LE 12 AOUT 1844/PAR MR. DUMON MINISTRE DES TRAVAUX PUBLICS/MR. LABROUSTE ARCHITECTE in four lines; ornate design below. Edge: (pointing hand) CUIVRE. Collignon –. Brown surfaces, minor marks. Both medals EF. In original case of issue, case damaged from age. Lot includes letter of presentation from Alexandre Vattemare (1796-1864) to John Silva Meehan (1790-1863), Librarian of Congress, dated 26 August 1851.

From the David J. Fleischmann Collection.

Nicholas Marie Alexandre Vattemare (1796-1864) was a French ventriloquist (known as Monsieur Vattemare), as well as a philanthropist who created the first international system of exchange for libraries and museums. Although not as successful in his homeland, Vattemare visited the United States and Canada, were he was more successful. Inspiring the founding of the Boston Public Library, he worked with the the city of Philadelphia. Between Vattemare’s two visits to the United States (1843 and 1847), he brought 1,800 volumes, 500 and more coins, archives, 250 engravings, as well as mineralogical and natural history specimens. In addition, Vattemare donated several cases of objects to the new Smithsonian Institution.

The tenure of John Silva Meehan (1790-1863) as 4th Librarian of Congress is remarkable for the Christmas Day 1851 fire in the Library that destroyed 35,000 volumes, including the books donated by Thomas Jefferson. Meehan used the funding from Congress to replace the lost volumes only, rather than expand the Library’s holdings. In addition, Meehan did provide a small collection of periodicals, which became the foundation of the Library’s Periodical Division.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 114 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 13-14 May 2020. This lot is in Session 4, which begins 14 May 2020 at 2 PM ET.

UPDATE: As the CNG staff and many of our clients remain under social distancing and other restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CNG 114 will be held as an internet only auction. The sale will take place as scheduled on 13-14 May 2020.

Winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 22.50% for all others.

We recognize that our users may have various Internet Browsers and Operating Systems. We like our visitors to have the best possible experience when using our bidding platform. However, we do recognize that it is impossible to develop applications that work identically, efficiently and effectively on all web browsers The CNG bidding platform supports Mozilla Firefox (version 60+) and Chrome (version 67+).