103232 | FRANCE & SOUTH AFRICA. Paris International Expo bronze Award Medal.

103232  |  FRANCE & SOUTH AFRICA. Paris International Expo bronze Award Medal. Issued 1900 as the official prize [awarded to George Rouillot] (63mm, 100.36 g, 12h). By Jules-Clément Chaplain at the Paris mint.

 

REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE, bust of Marianne right, wearing oak wreath; oak tree to the left; cityscape of Paris in the background to right // EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE INTERNATIONALE, Victory flying left, with head upturned to the right, holding a wreath and palm frond, and bearing victor, holding a torch, upon her back; view of the expo hall in the background; in exergue, cartouche with "G. ROUILLOT / PRÉSIDENT DE / LA CHAMBRE DES MINES" embossed in three lines. Edge: «cornucopia» BRONZE.

 

Button 29; Wurzbach 7193. Choice Mint State. Tan-brown surfaces, with a great matte nature.

 

Visited by more than 50 million visitors, the 1900 Paris World's Fair, styled in French as the Exposition Universelle, ran from 14 April to 12 November, occurring in conjunction with the games of the II Olympiad—also held in Paris. The theme of the expo was a celebration of the century that was and the century that would be. Some of the technological advancements that were exhibited included the diesel engine, electric cars, talking films, and dry cell batteries, with Art Nouveau given a spotlight and being introduced to the world.

 

The recipient of this medal, George Rouillot, served, as mentioned, as the President of the Chamber of Mines—essentially, the chief representative for a consortium of mine owners. In this case, the mines in question were in South Africa, with him serving in the role from 1898-1902. As such, this medal was presented in the middle of his tenure as president in 1900. The September 1912 edition of the South African Mining & Engineering Journal features a correspondence of his in which he writes to the editor: "Dear Sir, — I have been travelling a good deal lately and therefore your letter of January reached me only recently. I would gladly have contributed something towards the publication of your Special Number, but time at my disposal is now too short to write an article on so important a subject as you mention, which would require to be well thought over, figures and statistics carefully checked, etc. I therefore regret not to be able to respond to your kind suggestion, but take this opportunity to send you and all my old friends in Johannesburg my best remembrances and wish you every success with your publication. — I remain, yours faithfully, G.  ROUILLOT. 37bis, Rue de Villejust, Paris, March 8th, 1912." A later edition from 1921 also mentions the awardee, stating that "...Messrs. Eckstein's representative on the board was Mr. G. Rouillot, at one time President of the Chamber of Mines. His alternate was Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, who afterwards took Mr. Rouillot's place on the board..." The Eckstein referenced was Hermann Eckstein—a German-born British mining magnate who played a crucial role in the development of gold mining in South Africa and was a close friend of Paul Kruger. An exceptional medal with a strong connection to South Africa and its mining history.

 

This item was featured in our e-sylum ad.

 

Upload: 4 August 2025.