France: Exquisite Gold And Silver Proof Coins Replicate Historic Medal In History Of American Independence Series

Beginning in 2020, the Monnaie de Paris traces the history of the Independence of the United States through collector coins in remembrance of the arrival of French General La Fayette in Boston in 1780. The subjects of the coins are directly inspired by historic medals produced by the Monnaie de Paris, and the designs of these coins are recreated from archives. The Monnaie de Paris undertook the task of retracing the History of American Independence through a collection of coins since 2020. The series entitled the ‘History of American Independence’ commenced with a range of coins marking the arrival of La Fayette in Boston. A coin honouring George Washington followed in 2021, then the Great Seal of the USA in 2022 and the Libertas Americana medal in 2023 for its 240th anniversary. This year, the American victory at the Battle of Cowpens medal will be honoured. This extraordinary series is scheduled to conclude in 2027 with the final medal-design. The Comitia American series of 133 medals was commissioned between 1776 and the early 19th century and created at the Monnaie de Paris that memorialised pivotal moments of the American Revolutionary War. It is from some of these historic designs that the current series of collector coins are based upon.

The Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina took place on the 17^th January 1781. It was a crushing victory for the armed forces led by General Daniel Morgan against the British, led by Banastre Tarleton. A multi-directional strategy was carried out leading to the capture, disappearance or death of around 75% of British soldiers.

This first military success, which led to victory at Yorktown as well as commemorating the Declaration of Independence, were the subject of three commemorative medals authorised by Congress. A gold medal was eventually awarded to General Morgan, and two silver medals awarded to William Washington, commander of the cavalry, and John Eagar Howard, commander of the infantry. They were authorised during the time when Benjamin Franklin and David Humphreys were in Paris negotiating the alliance with France that would lead to the Treaty of Paris signed in September 1783. Ultimately, six gold medals were authorised and presented to heroes of the American Revolution, those men were General George Washington, General Horatio Gates, General Anthony Wayne, General Nathanael Greene, Captain John Paul Jones and General Daniel Morgan. The medals with a weight of 4.8 troy ounces and a diameter of 56 millimetres were finally completed in 1789. It was Thomas Jefferson who later became America’s first secretary of state who carried the original medals with him back to the United States when he returned from Paris. General Morgan finally received his medal in 1790 and died in 1802, leaving the gold accolade to his heirs. It was this same medal that was stolen from a bank vault in 1818 and never recovered. However, his grandson Morgan Lafayette Neville, an executive at the same bank where the medal was stolen who began efforts to have the medal a replaced which included writing to former President Thomas Jefferson. The replacement gold medal was eventually authorised by Congress and minted in 1839 by the US Mint in Philadelphia who struck a unique example with a weight of 4.9 ounces of fine gold. The medal was formally presented to General Morgan’s great-grandson Morgan Lafayette Neville Jr. in 1841 where it remained in the family until 1914. This medal is now on loan to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia by its current owner Brian Hendelson who purchased the medal in auction in April 2022.

To produce these new coins, the engraving workshop at the Monnaie de Paris started with a resin casting from the original medal. It was scanned using a laser, which interprets the relief and transforms it into 3D files and then reworked to correct any imperfections. The team readjusted the engraving height according to the diameter for the three high-relief coins and for the polished proof quality coins to ensure aesthetic consistency. For the smaller diameters, the dies are machined using a laser engraving machine. For the 85 mm. diameter coin, machining is carried out using a digitally controlled milling machine. The final step consists of a meticulous inspection under a microscope and manual retouching by the Master Engravers. This stage is essential to ensure impeccable quality and faithfulness to the original medal.

The recreated designs depicting Daniel Morgan's Victory, shows him full-length, about to be crowned by a Native American queen, an allegorical figure representing the young nation of America. She is shown wearing a short breastplate and a feathered headdress. Text in Latin is placed above the primary design along the upper rim and reads DANEILI MORGAN DUCI EXERCITUS (Daniel Morgan, General of the Army). Above the woman’s right arm are the initials RF denoting France as the country of issue and the year 2024 which is shown alongside the left arm of General Morgan. Below is an additional inscription, COMITIA AMERICANA (The American Congress). Below the inscription is a facsimile signature of Augustin Dupré, who was the general engraver of Monnaie de Paris at the time. The reverse shows an intricately detailed engraving of the General-in-Chief leading the charge on horseback, followed by his troops on foot and overthrowing the fleeing English adversary. Text in Latin is placed above the primary design along the upper rim and reads VICTORIA LIBERTATIS VINDEX (Victory vindicates liberty). Just under this inscription is the coins’ denomination 200 EURO (gold) or 20 or 25 or 250 EURO (silver). Below the primary design is an additional inscription FVGATIS CAPTIS AVT CSIS | AD COWPENS HOSTIBVS | XVII JAN. MDCCLXXXI (The enemy put to flight, captured, or slain, at Cowpens, 17 Jan. 1781) DUPRE INV ET F

Available from July, each of the coins are struck to proof quality or medallic high-relief, specially encapsulated and presented in a custom MdP case accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. All coins in this series are available to purchase as separate items. For additional information on these coins, please visit the e-webshop of the Monnaie de Paris.