100327 | FRANCE. Napoleon I bronze Medal.

100327 | FRANCE. Napoleon I bronze Medal. Issued 1804. The Gallery of Apollo (Galerie d'Apollon) at the Louvre (34mm, 18.23 g, 12h). By Andrieu in Paris.

 

Laureate head right / Ornate perspective view of the gallery, with numerous statues and busts; SALLE DE L'APOLLON on archway above; MUSÉE NAPOLÉON in exergue. Edge: Plain.

 

Bramsen 370; Julius 1319; d'Essling 1046; Zeitz 31. Gem Mint State. Rich red-brown surfaces, with a captivating brilliance and luster, and pleasing cameo nature.

 

Following Napoleon's capture of Italian treasure, a number of ancient and renaissance works of art were put on display at the Louvre, with the Apollo Belvedere prominent among them. This idea of 'cultural protection' was summed up by a quote in Le Moniteur from 3 October 1803, referring that the Venus de' Medici "...is in the safe keeping of the most powerful of nations, and that the sanctuary where she is placed is for her the temple of Janus of which the doors are forever closed." (Todd, Richard. Napoleon's Medals. The History Press, 2009, p. 9)

 

Please see additional images for a representation of the color under low lighting.

 

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