| In regard to the later medals from the French mint, in 1830 they
began edge-marking silver and gold medals, whether old or new. In 1842
they began marking copper or bronze medals as well. At first only a tiny
symbol was punched in, then the name of the metal was added.
|
| During Napoleonic times the 'bronze' medals were made of copper;
an artificial chocolate patina was added to them. This patina was made
from a naturally occurring pigment from a mine to which apparently only
the Paris mint had access; the director of Napoleon's Italian mint complained
that he couldn't get it. It seems that the source ran dry; after 1830
the Paris mint tried various other artificial patinas, which betray the
copper or bronze later but unmarked before 1842 strikes. The mint played
with copper versus bronze at about and after that time; you will find
nineteenth century strikes marked cuivre and strikes marked bronze. Later
in the century chemists found how to duplicate the chocolate patina, so
it reappears, but by that time the edge marks were in use, so there's
no problem there. |
| The original chocolate patina was applied to the struck up medal
by dusting on a finely divided pigment plus binder. The medal was then
returned to the press, where pressure and heat fused the coating on. |
| With the precious metal medals there is usually a 1 or 2 for first
or second quality. I think silver is 95% or 80%; I don't have the figures
for gold. Today the mint is adding on the edge the year struck. |