**France – Surrender of Mantua Medal, c. 1797

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**France – Surrender of Mantua Medal, c. 1797 Napoleonic Medal – The Five Battles Engraved by Lavy Struck in Bronze Choice Extremely Fine condition with handsome Patina France. Surrender of Mantua Medal, 1797. Bronze, 43mm, by Lavy. The obverse shows an armed Roman warrior to whom Mantua personified as a draped woman wearing a civic crown, presents the keys to the city. In the background are an aqueduct and part of the citadel of Mantua. In the exergue is the inscription REDDITION DE MANTOUE. The reverse has a laurel wreath, A L'ARMEE D'ITALIE VICTORIEUSE, the thunderbolt of Jupiter, LOI DU 24 PLUVIOSE, AN 5me R. An edge inscription reads BONAPARTE GENERAL EN CHEF. Choice Extremely Fine condition with handsome patina, few toning spots. The loss by the Austrians of their last stronghold in north Italy was an occasion of great rejoicing in France; it was clear that further operations in that theater of war would just be mopping up. It was true that further north the Austrians, under the leadership of Archduke Charles, had driven the French out of Germany, but so many Austrian resources had been expended in Italy that Austria was ready to settle for peace. Charles took command of what was left of the southern Austrian army and rallied it behind the Tagliamento River. The Five Battles. Napoleonic medals had their proper beginning in Italy in 1797. Napoleon was acting as proconsul for France, organizing the government of north Italy. General Bonaparte and his wife Josephine held court at the royal palace in Milan during the summer of 1797. The main salon of the palace included in its mural decoration four chiaroscuro pictures painted by Andre Appiani, allegories of four battles won by the French in the recent Italian campaign. Either these paintings were inspired by Appiani's designs for commemorative medals or vice versa; in any event, Napoleon ordered medals bearing these designs to be struck at the mint in Milan. The Constitution of the Year III had an interesting provision designed to guard against the government's overthrow by the military: the Councils were limited in the praise they might give for military victories to stating that such and such an army deserved well of the republic. This highest praise they might give was voted five times to General Bonaparte's army, and the Appiani illustrations were of four of the events so honored. The dies for the four medals were engraved by Charles Lavy, of the Milan mint, and dies for a fifth medal were produced by Salwirck, from the mint at Genoa. All five medals were produced with an unobtrusive edge legend in raised letters reading BONAPARTE GENERAL EN CHEF. The general history of the five medals may be concluded in a few words. Napoleon left Milan for Rastadt, then posted to Paris to arrange his Egyptian campaign. He sailed from Toulon on about 19 May 1798, not to return from Egypt until 9 October 1799. During his absence northern Italy was recaptured from the French by the Austrians and Russians. Before Milan fell to them, the hubs for the four medals engraved by Lavy were taken to Paris, where years later they were used to prepare new dies for the Paris mint issue of those four medals. The edge inscriptions were not put on the medals produced in Paris, and the Lodi medal was not produced in Paris, Salwirck not having had a hub produced from his die. Although there are copies from Milan without the edge inscription, the Milan mint specimens are about 1.5 mm thick, those from Paris about 3.0 mm. SHIPPING, MICHIGAN SALES TAX AND TERMS OF SALE PLEASE READ CAREFULLY $4.00 Shipping. Buyers taking delivery in Michigan need to add 6% sales tax or send us a copy of your valid Michigan Resale license with your payment to be exempt. All lots will be carefully packed and shipped. Bidders who fail to pay for lots and sales tax in full or do not meet the terms of sale requirements below may have their transaction voided as a result at our discretion. ... read more

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