Explanation of the Paintings, Sculptures, and Engravings of the Gentlemen of the Royal Academy, of which the Exhibition has been ordered, according to the intention of His Majesty, by the Count de la Billarderie d'Angeviller, Councillor of the King in His Councils, Master-of-Camp of Cavalry, Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis, Commander of the Order of Saint Lazare, Governor of Rambouillet, Director and Ordonnator-General of His Majesty's Buildings, Gardens, Arts, and Royal Academies and Manufactures; of the Royal Academy of Sciences.
PARIS.
From the Printing Office of the Building of the King and of the Royal Academy of Painting.
M.DCC.LXXXIX.
With the privilege of the King.

Engravings.

By M. Duvivier, engraver-general of the Moneys and of the Medals of the King.

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  5. Bust of General Washington, and on the reverse, Evacuation of Boston, 1776.
  6. and 7. Medals for Colonel Washington and Colonel Howard.
    These three medals are for the United States of America.

H

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 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.