CHRISTOPHER EIMER ON THE AUGUSTIN DUPRE ARCHIVE

I have had a relatively brief opportunity of looking at the Augustin Dupre material at the London offices of Bonham’s, who are to sell the group in April in New York.

Fully understandable was the enthusiasm with which news of this event was greeted by the E-Sylum readership, but prior to the auction catalogue coming out, I believe that it would be best to keep expectations of its content to a realistic level, by immediately pointing out the absence of any Comitia Americana or other related material in silver, and by also remembering that much Dupre material is already accounted for in public collections, as well as in some important private gatherings.

That having been said, the group does contain a number of medallic sketches, which include those for the Daniel Morgan and Diplomatic medals (Adams, Comitia Americana, pp. 129-138 and 199-218). There are also uniface strikings of medals in tin or lead, which include those of Nathaniel Greene and Daniel Morgan medal (Adams, pp. 153-161, and 199-218).

The medals themselves include the 1790 oval silver ‘Pacte Federatif’ medal (sim. Hennin 165), a bronze example of the Benjamin Franklin eripuit coelo fulmen medal (Adams, pp. 174-79), and lead examples of the Diplomatic and Libertas Americana medals, but I believe these two to be later productions.

Amongst the sketched drafts for French coinage are ‘Union et Force’ and Paix et Abondance’ designs, the latter inscribed below ‘piece d’argent d’un france’.

As well as the material mentioned in the initial report in the E-Sylum, the archive also includes uniface strikings and miscellaneous trials of seals and jetons

Of a more personal nature is an interesting gilt-plaster impression, 70 mm. in diameter and dated 1787, which seems to constitute an apprentice’s presentation piece, inscribed as it is from Dupre’s pupil ‘Lambert’, the legend reading ‘Hommage De Tendresse et de Reconnaissance’. Also included in the archive is Dupre’s Legion of Honour award together with a lock of his hair, contained in a frame and accordingly inscribed.

As E-Sylum readers may realize, a number of Dupre-related items have been added to the archive over the years, and I understand from John Millinsted, the head of Coins and Medals at Bonhams, London, that the entire group is to be sold as one lot.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: BONHAM'S TO SELL AUGUSTIN DUPRÉ ARCHIVE (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n02a07.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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