Читать книгу The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 - J. F. Loubat - Страница 13

Mint of the United States,

Philadelphia, November 22, 1861.

Honorable

William L. Dayton,

Minister of the United States at the Court of France.

Dear Sir: During the Revolutionary War, medals were awarded by resolution of the Continental Congress to certain officers who commanded the American forces in the principal conflicts with the enemy, or participated therein. The dies for these medals were prepared in Paris, and the medals produced there. Several of the dies in question are understood to be in the possession of the Mint of Medals at Paris. As (p. xlviii) we have recently prepared, for distribution, bronze medals from the national medal dies in our country, it would be very gratifying if the American medal dies, at the French Mint, could be procured and the series made complete. The medals that were prepared for us in Paris are interesting memorials of some of the most remarkable events in our history, and the appropriate place for the dies would appear to be in the National Mint of the United States.

May I request the favor of you to ascertain, from the proper official source, what medal dies, relating to events connected with the history of the United States, are at the mint in Paris, and whether the same can be obtained. If not, I should be glad to have, say twenty copies in bronze, struck from the dies, provided the expense would not be too great.

Inclosed I send you a list of the medals recently struck in bronze from the dies of a public character in our possession. It will be seen that it is deficient in medals of the Revolutionary era.

The following American medal dies are believed to be at the French Mint of Medals:

 Washington before Boston.

 General Wayne, for capture of Stony Point.

 Colonel Fleury, for same.

 Captain Stewart, for same.

 Major Lee, for capture of Paulus Hook.

 Colonel John Eager Howard, for Cowpens.

 Colonel William Washington, for same.

 Major General Greene, for Eutaw Springs.

 Captain John Paul Jones, for capture of the Serapis by the Bonhomme Richard.

Your attention to the request contained herein will greatly oblige,

Your friend and obedient servant,

James Pollock,

Director of the Mint.

Legation of the United States,

Paris, December 10, 1861.

To His Excellency,

Monsieur Thouvenel,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc., Paris.

Monsieur le Ministre: I have received from the Director of the Mint of the United States a letter (of which I annex a copy), calling me to procure a certain series of medals prepared in Paris to commemorate certain events in the history of the American Revolution.

These dies having been prepared in Paris, and the medals struck here, it is supposed the former yet remain in some safe depository.

If it is possible to procure the original dies, I am requested to do so; if that be not possible, I should be happy to learn if I can procure copies.

I avail myself of the occasion to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be,

Your obedient servant,

W. L. Dayton.

Paris, le 17 janvier 1862. Monsieur Dayton, Ministre des États-Unis à Paris.

Monsieur: Par la lettre que vous m'avez fait l'honneur de m'adresser le 10 décembre dernier, vous m'exprimiez le désir d'être mis en possession des coins d'un certain nombre de médailles commémoratives d'événements de la guerre de l'Indépendance qui ont été frappées à Paris. Monsieur le Ministre des Finances à qui j'avais du écrire à ce sujet, me répond que le Musée Monétaire ne possède les coins que de quatre de ces médailles. La prise de Boston, la prise de Serapis, bataille de Cowpens—Washington, et bataille de Cowpens—Howard. Le musée ne pourrait se dessaisir de ces coins, mais il serait facile, moyennant une légère dépense, de faire frapper de nouveaux exemplaires; il faudrait seulement, si la proposition était agrée par le gouvernement Fédéral, que vous me fissiez parvenir l'indication précise du nombre d'exemplaires de chacune de ces médailles qu'il désirerait obtenir.

Agréez les assurances de la haute considération avec laquelle j'ai l'honneur d'être,

Monsieur,

Votre très humble et très obéissant serviteur,

Pour le ministre et par autorisation,

Le Ministre Plénipotentiaire Directeur,

Banneville.

[Translation.]

Paris, January 17, 1862.

Mr. Dayton,

Minister of the United States, Paris.

Sir: By the letter which you did me the honor to address to me on the 10th of December last, you expressed to me the desire to obtain the dies of a certain number of medals, commemorative of events of the War of Independence, which were struck in Paris. The Minister of Finance, to whom I had to write on the subject, replies that the Museum of the Mint possesses the dies of only four of these medals: the taking of Boston, the capture of the Serapis, the battle of the Cowpens—Washington, and the battle of the Cowpens—Howard. The museum cannot part with these dies, but it will be easy, at a small outlay, to have new copies struck; it will only be necessary, if the proposition is accepted by the Federal Government, for you to indicate to me the precise number of copies of each of these medals which it wishes to obtain.

Receive the assurances of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your very humble and very obedient servant,

For the minister and by authorization,

The Minister Plenipotentiary Director,

Banneville.

Legation of the United States,

Paris, January 23, 1862.

To His Excellency,

Monsieur Thouvenel,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc., Paris.

Monsieur Le Ministre: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant in reference to the American medal dies. I avail myself of your kind offer to have copies struck from the original dies.

Be pleased to direct that twenty copies in bronze be struck from such dies, with a diameter of two and one half inches. The expense will be met by this Legation immediately upon notice.

I avail myself of the opportunity to assure Your Excellency of the high consideration with which I am,

Your humble servant,

W. L. Dayton.