Napoleonic medal

Napoleon I of France celebrated his accomplishments with an extensive set of

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commemorative medals struck by the Paris Medal Mint. The exact number of these medals

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is not precisely known since the official records of Napoleon's reign, including

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the list of medals struck by the mint, were erased by King Louis XVIII. Counting

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medals struck in England and Italy, the total number of different Napoleonic Medals

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exceeds 2,000.

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The sizes of these medals vary, although most are approximately 40mm in diameter.

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Most were struck in copper, although silver and gold were also used. The copper medals

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have a patina applied, which protects the copper from eroding and makes the medal look

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like bronze.

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The most definitive catalog of Napoleonic Medals was created by a collector named

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Bramsen in three volumes published between 1904 and 1913.

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Many of the medals struck during Napoleon's reign were restruck later from the same dies. Determining when a given medal was struck is sometimes difficult. Restrikes can often

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be identified by a punch mark applied to the edge of the medal.

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