French Revolution, Storming of Bastille, 81mm, by Perdon

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

This medals is part of my French medals offer Visit my page with the offers, please. You will find many interesting items related to this subject. If you are interested in other medals, related to this subject, France, related to This beautiful medal has been minted in France in 1989 to commemorate the 200 th Anniversary of the French Revolution. UNIFACE This medal has been designed by the prominent French medalist, E. PEDRON. The Bastille ( French pronunciation: [bastij] ) was a fortress -prison in Paris , known formally as Bastille Saint-Antoine —Number 232, Rue Saint-Antoine—best known today because of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, which along with the Tennis Court Oath is considered the beginning of the French Revolution . The event was commemorated one year later by the Fête de la Fédération . The French national holiday , celebrated annually on 14 July is officially the Fête Nationale , and officially commemorates the Fête de la Fédération , but it is commonly known in English as Bastille Day . Bastille is a French word meaning " castle " or "stronghold", or "bastion"; used with a definite article ( la Bastille in French, the Bastille in English), it refers to the prison. The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France , during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy , underwent radical change to forms based on Enlightenment principles of citizenship and inalienable rights . These changes were accompanied by violent turmoil which included the trial and execution of the king, vast bloodshed and repression during the Reign of Terror , and warfare involving every other major European power . Subsequent events that can be traced to the Revolution include the Napoleonic Wars , two separate restorations of the monarchy , and two additional revolutions as modern France took shape. In the following century, France would be governed at one point or another as a republic , constitutional monarchy , and two different empires . av. The storming of Bastille diameter - 81 mm (ca 3¼“) weight – 237.00 gr, (8.36 oz) metal – bronze, mint, beautiful patina The archives of the Bastille show that the building largely held common criminals (forgers, embezzlers, swindlers, etc.), as well as people imprisoned for religious reasons ( Huguenots ) and those responsible for printing or writing forbidden pamphlets. [1] People of high rank were sometimes held there too, and so the prison (which could only hold a little over 50 people) was far less sordid a place than most of the Parisian prisons. But the secrecy maintained around the Bastille and its prisoners gave it a sinister reputation. The confrontation that led to the people of Paris storming the Bastille on 14 July 1789, following several days of disturbances, resulted from the fact that gunpowder and arms had been stored there, and the people (whose fears had been raised by a number of rumors) demanded access to these. The later idea that they wanted to free the prisoners (only 7 of whom remained) has been discounted. The regular garrison consisted of 82 invalides (veteran soldiers no longer capable of service in the field) under Governor Bernard-René de Launay . They had however been reinforced by a detachment of 32 grenadiers from one of the Swiss mercenary regiments summoned to Paris by the King shortly before 14 July. A crowd of around 8800 men and women gathered outside around mid-morning, calling for the surrender of the prison, the removal of the guns and the release of the arms and gunpowder. Two people chosen to represent those gathered were invited into the fortress and slow negotiations began. In the early afternoon around 1:00, the crowd broke into the undefended outer courtyard and the chains on th... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.