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FRANCE, Royal (Restored). temp. Louis XVIII. 1814-1824. Lot of three (3) Æ Medals. On the Birth and Baptism of Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné d'Artois, duc de Bordeaux, comte de Chambord. Includes:
1) On the Birth of Henri (77mm, 66.82 g, 12h). Paris mint. By Gayrard. Dated 1820 (in Roman numerals). Jugate busts of Charles Ferdinand d'Artois, Duke of Berry, and Maria Carolina Ferdinanda Luise right; GAYRARD F. below / FATA ASPERA VINCES, infant Henri (as Herakliskos Drakonopnigon) lying in crib, and strangling two winged serpents; in exergue, NOS COEURS ET NOS BRAS/SONT A LUI in two lines. Collignon 223.
2) On the Birth of Henri (38mm, 35.01 g, 12h). Paris mint. By Gayrard. Dated 1820. DIEU NOUS L’A DONNÉ, Duchess of Berry, left on couch holding infant Henri above in presentation, radiance above; to right; herm of the deceased Duke of Berry left / 29 SEPT. 1820, St. Michael slaying Satan, who holds a knife and torch. Collignon 200.
3) On the Baptism of Henri (38mm, 32.91 g, 12h). Paris mint. By Gayrard. Dated 1821. HENRI · CHARLES · FERDINAND · MARIE · DIEUDONNÉ · DUC DE BORDEAUX., bust of Henri left / FILS DE SṬ LOUIS SOYEZ CHRÉTIEN, personification of the Holy Church standing right, baptizing infant Henri, being held by France kneeling left with xexillum behind; Henri holds torch and has feet on serpent-entwined globe. Collingnon 200. Brown surfaces, slight cabinet wear on the smaller medals. As made.
The three medals in this lot celebrate the birth and baptism of “the miracle child,”Henri, duc de Bordeaux, whose birth – seven months after the assassination of his father (Charles-Ferdinand de Bourbon, duc de Berry and son of King Charles X ) – preserved the direct Bourbon line of Louis XIV. The child was born on Michaelmas, September 29, the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel.
The first medal depicts his mother, Maria Carolina of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, presenting the child to the world from her birth bed on one side, and St. Michael defeating Satan on the other.
On the second medal, the child is depicted as the infant Hercules strangling the two serpents that the goddess Hera had sent to kill him. The depiction closely mimics the famous 1788 painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
The third medals shows the child being baptized with water from the Jordan River that was brought specially for the occasion. Henri reigned as king of France for seven days in August 1830.
Closing Date and Time: 18 October 2023 at 15:00:20 ET.
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.
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