Médaille France Bronze Maximilien de Béthune XF

This medal is dedicated to Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, an iconic figure in French history who served as Superintendent of Finances under the reign of Henry IV. It bears in exergue the famous motto attributed to him: « Le Labourage et le Pastourage » (Tillage and Pasturage), an expression encapsulating his vision of the French economy, founded on agriculture and livestock farming as pillars of the kingdom's prosperity.

This piece is the work of the engraver M. Delannoy, whose signature attests to the authenticity and care devoted to the artistic design of this strike. The medal is part of the French tradition of commemorative or honorary medals, a genre in which the precision of the portrait and the symbolic richness of the representations play a central role.

The obverse of the medal most likely features the portrait of Maximilien de Béthune, depicted according to the iconographic conventions befitting his dignity as Duke and Peer of France, while the reverse illustrates the agricultural and pastoral themes associated with his economic policy. These representations echo Sully's reforming action, which encouraged the development of arable land and the rigorous management of royal finances.

The medal is a collectible item belonging to the field of medals of historical figures, a category particularly prized by numismatic and history enthusiasts. It bears witness both to the art of French coin engraving and to the taste for commemorating the great figures of the Ancien Régime. By its subject and execution, it represents a tangible testimony to the link between the political, economic and artistic history of France.

 

 

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