Medals of the Series

Galerie métallique des grands hommes français

Figure 1 Racine by Andrieu

The metallic gallery of great French men was the brainchild of Louis Bérard (1783-1859), a politician active during the reign of Napoleon and the Restoration. As an antidote to the humiliation of France at Waterloo in 1815, the series of medals was an evocation of the past greatness of French cultural and scientific achievements; political and military figures with Revolutionary, Imperial, or Monarchical identities were excluded.

The series began in 1816, as a not-for-profit corporation capitalized by a group of wealthy individuals, each of whom contributed 500 francs to the project. Twenty-two artists engraved portrait obverses for the series, By 1837, medals of 118 individuals were included in a published listing; one additional one was added the next year, bearing the identification as a supplement to the series.

A listing of all medals, with a bibliography on the series, is available here. These are the examples we currently have in stock:

Figure 2 Malesherbes by Galle

Except as otherwise noted, all offered here are struck bronze, 41 mm., and without edge stamps. The numbers are those in the 1892 Mint catalogue of dies.

No. Person Artist Year Edge/metal

2 d’Aguesseau, François Caqué 1821

3 d’Alembert, Jean Depaulis 1824

4 Amyot, Jacques Depaulis 1819

5 d’Anville, J. B. Bourguignon Caqué 1821

6 Arnauld, Antoine Depaulis 1817

7 Audran, Gerard Petit 1822

8 Bailly, J. Sylvain Montagny 1821

9 Bayle, Pierre Caunois 1819

9 Bayle, Pierre Caunois 1819 Cast white metal

13 Bichat, M. F. Xavier Dubour 1826

13 Bichat, M. F. Xavier Dubour 1826 1967 cornucopia BR

14 N. Boileau Despreaux Caunois 1817

15 Bossuet, J. Benigne Gayrard 1816

16 Bourdaloue, Louis Vivier 1820

17 de La Bruyère, Jean Petit 1819

18 Buffon, G. L. Leclercq de Gatteaux 1817

19 Cassini, Jean Dominique Gatteaux 1825

20 Catinat, Nicholas Domard 1823

22 Chevert, François Caqué 1821

23 Colbert, J. Baptiste Depaulis 1826

24 Coligny, Gaspard de Gayrard 1821

25 Commines, Philippe de Vatinelle 1822

25 Commines, Philippe de Vatinelle 1822 silvered white metal

25 Commines, Philippe de Vatinelle 1822 cast lead

27 Condé, Louia II de Boubon Caunois 1823

28 Crébillon, P. Jolyot de Depaulis 1818

29 Cujas, Jacques Pingret 1821

Figure 3 Delille by Petit

30 Delille, Jacques Petit 1821

31 De l’Orme, Philibert Gatteaux 1829

32 Desaix, L. C. Ant. Caunois 1820

33 Descartes, René Galle 1819

35 Destouches, Ph. Nericault Caunois 1816

36 Diderot, Denis Domard 1817

37 Duclos, Charles Donadio 1821

38 Du Guay-Trouin, René Caqué 1819

41 Edelinck, Gérard Gatteaux 1824

42 Favart, C. Simon Vivier 1818

43 Fénélon, F.D.S. de la Motte Gayrard 1829

44 Fermat, Pierre Desboeufs 1822

45 Fernel, Jean Depaulis 1822

46 Fléchier, Esprit Domard 1820

47 Fontenelle, B. Le Bouyer de Donadio 1819

48 Gassendi, Pierre Vatinelle 1818

49 Gerbier, J. Baptiste Dubois 1819

50 Grétry, A. E. Modeste Gayrard 1818

51 Héloise Gayrard 1819

52 Hoche, Lazare Gayrard 1821

54 Jeannin, Pierre Gayrard / Dupré 1817

55 Jussieu, Bernard de Depaulis 1823

57 Lagrange, Joseph Louis Donadio 1818

58 La Harpe, J. François de Petit 1822

59 Lannes, Jean Gayrard 1823

Figure 4 Destouches by Caunois

60 Lavoisier, A. Laurent Caqué 1821

62 Le Brun, P. D. Ecouchard Petit 1821

63 Le Sage, Alain René Vivier 1821

64 Le Sueur, Eustache Leclerc 1829

65 L’Hopital, Michel de Caunois 1817

66 Malesherbes, C. G. L. Galle 1819

67 Mansart, J. Hardouin Masson 1817

68 Marmontel, J. François Petit 1820

69 Marot, Clément Gayrard 1818

70 Masséna, André Gatteaux 1822

71 Massillon, J. Baptiste Caunois 1819

72 Mézeray, F. Eudes de Caunois 1817

73 Mignard, Pierre Domard 1817 silver

73 Mignard, Pierre Domard 1817

74 Mirabeau, G. H. R. de Gatteaux 1822

75 Molé, Mathieu Domard 1821

76 Molière, Poquelin de Gayrard 1816

77 Monge, Gaspard Gatteaux 1822

78 Montaigne, Michel de Gatteaux 1817 silver

78 Montaigne, Michel de Gatteaux 1817

79 Montesquieu, C. S. de Caunois 1817

80 Montgolfier, Etienne Caqué 1821

81 Paré, Ambroise Depaulis 1819

82 Parny, Evariste Caqué 1822

83 Pascal, Blaise Dubois 1817

83 Pascal, Blaise Dubois 1817 silver, cornucopia

84 Perronet, J. Rudolphe Dubois 1821

85 Piron, Alexis Masson 1817

86 Poussin, Nicolas Dubois 1817

88 Puget, Pierre Gatteaux 1817

89 Quinault, Philippe Vivier 1822

90 Rabelais, François Gatteaux 1818

91 Racine, Jean Andrieu 1817

92 Raynal, G. Thomas Gayrard 1825

93 Regnard, J. François Dubois 1818

94 Richelieu, A. J. Du Plessis Gatteaux 1821

96 Rollin, Charles [Jaley] 1818

97 Rotrou, Jean Masson 1818

98 Rousseau, Jean-Baptiste Vivier 1819

100 Serres, Olivier de Donadio 1821

101 Sévigné, Marie Rabutin de Gayrard 1816

102 Staël, Anne L. G. Necker de Gatteaux 1829

103 Suger, L’Abbé Depaulis 1820

104 Sully, Max. de Bethune de Domard 1822

106 Thou, J. Auguste de Rogat 1817

107 Tourville, A. M. de Costentin Pingret 1823

108 Turenne, H. de la Tour de Gayrard 1819

109 Turgot, A. R. Jacques Desboeufs 1821

110 Vauban, S. Leprestre de Petit 1819

111 Vaucanson, Jacques de Pingret 1820

112 Vernet, Joseph Petit 1818

113 Villars, L. Hector de Caqué 1821

114 Vincent de Paul Gatteaux 1821

115 Visconti, En. Quirinus Donadio 1818

116 Volney, C. F. C. de Caqué 1822

117 Voltaire, Arouet de Caunois 1817

118 Varin, Jean Gatteaux 1820

Supplément à la Galerie Numismatique des Grands Hommes Français par les soins de G. de Pixerécourt

119 Callot, Jacques Caqué 1838