MUDIE'S SERIES OF "NATIONAL MEDALS."

(This section updated on Sunday, July 24, 2011)

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France had a long history of striking medals to commemorate events of national importance and to glorify the accomplishments of its kings. This tradition continued into the Napoleonic era, when medals were issued in profusion. James Mudie published his series of forty "National Medals" in 1820. They commemorate the events of the Napoleonic period, from a British perspective. The medals are similar in size to the officially issued French medals. They were struck by Edward Thomason. Many of the dies were created in France, by some of the very artists, who had made dies, just a few years earlier, in celebration of Napoleon's accomplishments.  The medals were offered individually and in sets. The sets were contained in two trays  set into a red or green leather bound case in the form of a book. The medals were advertized as being available in gold, but no complete set in gold is known to exist. A single example of the medal commemorating Napoleon's Surrender was offered in Sotheby's sale of Matthew Young's collection in 1840. They were also available in silver and bronzed copper. Individual silver examples are rare while complete sets in silver are extremely rare. Complete sets in copper are rare. Medals in whitemetal also exist and are quite scarce.

References:
BHM      BROWN, Laurence. British Historical Medals. Volume I, 1760-1837. London, 1980. Reprinted 2007. 
Bramsen BRAMSEN, l. Medailleur Napoleon le Grand pendant le Consulat et l'Empire. Paris    and  Copenhagen,  1904-1913. Reprinted 1977
Eimer      EIMER, Christopher. British Commemorative Medals and their values. London, 1987.
Mudie     MUDIE, James. An Historical Account of a Grand Series of National Medals. London, 1820.  Reprinted circa 2000.

1817, Great Britain. GEORGE III: DEDICATION MEDAL. By Thomas Webb and A.J. Depaulis. AE 41mm. Obv: Laureate head of George III facing right. Rev: Religion standing before Faith seated. Mudie 1, BHM 933, Eimer 1102.

1804, Great Britain/India. THE SETTLEMENT OF THE BRITISH AT BOMBAY, 1662 AND THE EAT INDIA COMPANY'S VICTORY OF A FRENCH SQUADRON. By J.Pierre Droz and G. Mills. AE 41mm. Obv: Neptune holding a Union Jack and a cornucopia. Rev: Neptune seated holding a trident and a figure of Victory. Mudie 2, BHM 567, Eimer 952.

1794, Great Britain/France. LORD HOWE AND THE DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH OFF USHANT. By William Wyon. AE 41mm. Obv: Uniformed bust of Lord Howe facing right. Rev: Neptune riding in a marine car drawn by two seahorses. Mudie 3, BHM 387, Eimer 858, Fearon 245.5, MH 418.

1797, Great Britain/Netherlands. ADMIRAL DUNCAN AND THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN. By Thomas Webb and William Wyon. AE 41mm. Obv: Uniformed bust of Admiral Duncan facing left. Rev: Admiral de Winter surrendering to Admiral Duncan. Mudie 5, BHM 432, Eimer 886, MH 1919. E

1799, Great Britain. ADMIRAL SIR SYDNEY SMITH AND THE DEFENSE OF ACRE. By G. Mills and N.G.A. Brenet. AE 41mm. Obv: Uniformed bust of Sid Sydney Smith facing left. Rev: The British lion protecting the Syrian camel from the French tiger. BHM 476, Mudie 7.

1809, Great Britain/Spain. THE PASSAGE OT THE DOUR0. By Nicolas Guy Antoine Brenet and E.J Dubois. AE 41mm. Obv: Bare head of the Duke of Wellington facing right. Rev: A river god attempting to repel the British fleet in an attempt to prevent them from crossing. Mudie 15, BHM 671, Bramsen 671, Eimer 997.

1812, Great Britain/Spain. LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIR THOMAS PICTONA ND THE CAPTURE OF ALBUERA. By George Mills. AE 41mm. Obv: Almost facing uniformed bust of Picton. Rev: Picton, sword in hand, holding a standard. Mudie 19, BHM 730, Eimer 1021.

1813, Great Britain/Spain. LIEUTENANT GENERAL LORD LYNEDOCH AND THE BATTLE OF SAN SEBASTIAN. By Thomas Webb and George Mills. AE 41mm. Obv: Bust of Lord Lynedoch facing right. Rev: A Roman soldier with ships and a burning castle in the background. BHM 761, Mudie 24, Eimer 1036.

1816, Great Britain. THE PRINCE REGENT - ENGLAND GIVES PEACE TO THE WORLD. By G. Mills and E.J. Dubois. AE 41mm. Obv: Laureate bust of the Prince Regent with his head turned left. Rev: Britannia handing an olive branch to a personification of the World. Mudie 28, BHM 776.

1815, Great Britain/Europe. THE TREATIES OF PARIS, 1814/1815. By George Mills and N.G.A. Brenet. AE 41mm. Obv: Laureate bust of the Prince Regent facing left. Rev: Peace holding two wreaths. A trophy of arms in the background. Mudie 29, BHM 892, Eimer 1080, Bramsen 1784.

1816, Great Britain/Germany. THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE AND THE ENGLISH ARMY RE-ENTER HANOVER. By Thomas Webb and J.J. Barre. AE 41mm. Obv: Uniformed bust of the Duke of Cambridge facing three-quarters, left. Rev: Britannia seated and feeding two Hanoverian horses. BHM 777, Mudie 31, Eimer 1058, Bramsen 1489.

1815, Great Britain/France/Austria/Elba. THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA AND NAPOLEON'S FLIGHT FROM ELBA. by N.G.A. Brenet and A.J. Depaulis. AE 41mm. Obv: The French eagle carrying a thunderbolt. Rev: Mercury flying and carrying a scroll. Mudie 32, BHM 869, Eimer 1064, Bramsen 1597.

1815, Great Britain/Netherlands. THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE NETHERLANDS. By A.J. Depaulis and LaFitte. AE 41mm. Obv: A bull standing before a British standard. Rev: A river god before an armed galley. BHM 867, Mudie 33, Eimer 1066, Bramsen 1607.

1816, Great Britain/Algieria. ADMIRAL LORD EXMOUTH AND THE BOMBARDMENT OF ALGIERS. By L. Brenet and Gerard. AR 41mm. Obv: Uniformed bust of Lord Exmouth facing right. Rev: Neptune pacifying a seahorse within his trident. BHM 921, Mudie 39, MH 572.

1817, Great Britain/Greece. THE IONIAN ISLANDS. By A.J. Depaulis. AE 41mm. Obv: Britannia seated, holding a tablet of laws. Rev: Seven females signifying the number of islands gathering for protection around the British flag. BHM 958, Mudie 40, Eimer 1094. Variety with "THE IONIENNE ISLANDS" IN THE EXERGUE.