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Franco-American Union Medal
Union Franco Americaine
Requires Photography
Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi: Statue of Liberty
Franco-American Union Medal
Union Franco Americaine
Oscar Roty (French, 1846–1911)
French
1886
Mint: Paris, France
Medium/Technique
Metal; bronze
Dimensions
Diameter and weight: 69 mm (2 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Horace Packard
Accession Number27.291
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsNumismatics – Medals
Catalogue Raisonné
Maier 92; Baxter 30; Gabriel GO-3.
DescriptionCircular medal of Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), French sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. Stamped on edge "BRONZE".
Obverse: A boat with winged Genius at proper right manning rudder and two women (Columbia and Marianne) at proper left with Statue of Liberty in background; inscribed at edge "VNION·FRANCO·AMERICAINE/STATVE·COLOSSALE·DE·LA·LIBERTE·ECLAIRANT·LE MONDE/28 OCTOBRE/M.D.CCCLXXXVI".
Reverse: Set into circle plaque, bust of Bartholdi looking to proper right and inscribed at its edge; inscribed at edge of inset circle "AVGVSTE BARTHOLDI STATVAIRE", at edge "SOUVENIR·DE·L'INDEPENDENCE·AMERICAINE", at center "MONVMENT/ERIGÉ·PAR·LA·FRANCE/ET·L'AMERIQUE·EN·SOUVENIR/DE·LEUR·ANCIENNE·AMINÉ/1776 1876", at proper right "O.ROTY", and below "HAVTEUR·DE LA·STATVE·46'''8''" and "HAVTEVR·DV/PIÉ PESTAL·35'''".
Obverse: A boat with winged Genius at proper right manning rudder and two women (Columbia and Marianne) at proper left with Statue of Liberty in background; inscribed at edge "VNION·FRANCO·AMERICAINE/STATVE·COLOSSALE·DE·LA·LIBERTE·ECLAIRANT·LE MONDE/28 OCTOBRE/M.D.CCCLXXXVI".
Reverse: Set into circle plaque, bust of Bartholdi looking to proper right and inscribed at its edge; inscribed at edge of inset circle "AVGVSTE BARTHOLDI STATVAIRE", at edge "SOUVENIR·DE·L'INDEPENDENCE·AMERICAINE", at center "MONVMENT/ERIGÉ·PAR·LA·FRANCE/ET·L'AMERIQUE·EN·SOUVENIR/DE·LEUR·ANCIENNE·AMINÉ/1776 1876", at proper right "O.ROTY", and below "HAVTEUR·DE LA·STATVE·46'''8''" and "HAVTEVR·DV/PIÉ PESTAL·35'''".
Marks
Stamped on edge "BRONZE".
InscriptionsObverse: Inscribed at edge "VNION·FRANCO·AMERICAINE/STATVE·COLOSSALE·DE·LA·LIBERTE·ECLAIRANT·LE MONDE/28 OCTOBRE/M.D.CCCLXXXVI".
Reverse: Inscribed at edge of inset circle "AVGVSTE BARTHOLDI STATVAIRE", at edge "SOUVENIR·DE·L'INDEPENDENCE·AMERICAINE", at center "MONVMENT/ERIGÉ·PAR·LA·FRANCE/ET·L'AMERIQUE·EN·SOUVENIR/DE·LEUR·ANCIENNE·AMINÉ/1776 1876", at proper right "O.ROTY", and below "HAVTEUR·DE LA·STATVE·46'''8''" and "HAVTEVR·DV/PIÉ PESTAL·35'''".
Reverse: Inscribed at edge of inset circle "AVGVSTE BARTHOLDI STATVAIRE", at edge "SOUVENIR·DE·L'INDEPENDENCE·AMERICAINE", at center "MONVMENT/ERIGÉ·PAR·LA·FRANCE/ET·L'AMERIQUE·EN·SOUVENIR/DE·LEUR·ANCIENNE·AMINÉ/1776 1876", at proper right "O.ROTY", and below "HAVTEUR·DE LA·STATVE·46'''8''" and "HAVTEVR·DV/PIÉ PESTAL·35'''".
ProvenanceBefore 1927, The Mary Hooper Packard Collection; 1927, gift of Horace Packard to the MFA. (Accession Date: May 5, 1927)