I recently bought a group of medals including a uniface piece that appears to be a Napoleon Medal known as #1538 in the Brenot and Bramsen catalog. I don't know much about Napoleon medals and am trying to figure out what this one-sided example might be (A trial strike? A casting of the medal? A mintage error?) Here's the whole medal: http://blackwatch.napoleonicmedals.org/Empire/M0558.htm And below are pics of my "half": Any guesses as to value?
Yours appears to be a crude copy. There are slight differences between the original bronze and the copy. I've been collecting French medals for more than 15 years, and finding copies is no more uncommon for medals as it is for coins. Chris
Interesting. Would would a uniface copy such have been made? And what differences stand out? Here's another link with more info (about the original medal, I suppose): http://fortiter.napoleonicmedals.org/medals/history/elbe.htm
It's my guess that this was a failed attempt at making a cast copy. To do this, you need to cast one side at a time. However, the side you have shown has problems. Note that the legend on the inner ring does not match the bronze medal. Her face is slightly different, too. I didn't feel it was necessary to examine every aspect after noting these two differences. Chris
