(1791) Bronze Medal Fuld-LA.1791.12 Gen. Lafayette National Assembly

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,560 AU Details 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This bronze medal cataloged as Fuld-LA.1791.12 commemorates General Lafayette and his role in the French National Assembly. Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, served as a key figure in both the American and French Revolutions. After his celebrated service as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, Lafayette returned to France where he became a leading figure in the early stages of the French Revolution. He was elected vice president of the National Assembly in 1789 and authored the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, drawing directly on the principles of the American Declaration of Independence. The 1791 date places this in the period when Lafayette commanded the Parisian National Guard and attempted to steer a moderate constitutional path between royalist reaction and radical revolution. The Fuld catalog prefix LA identifies this within the Lafayette medal series, a substantial collecting specialty given Lafayette's enduring popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. The bronze composition and AE designation indicate a standard collector-grade striking.

Rarity Notes

Bronze Lafayette medal from the Fuld catalog series. Lafayette medals span multiple centuries and are widely collected within both American and French numismatic specialties.

Cross References

PCGS #935516; Fuld-LA.1791.12