(Rare Books & Manuscripts)
A collection of 27 items, comprising medals, proofs, dies, medallic portraits, and a single sketch, purchased together on behalf of the Boston Public Library in 1888 by William S. Appleton from the descendants of Augustin Dupré, in Paris.
The medals and other materials in this collection, almost all of which are by Dupré himself, were commissioned during the early years of the American republic. The collection comprises:
- 2 white metal proofs of an unpublished Franklin medal, along with the steel die from which they were struck
- 1 white metal proof of an oval medal, comprising a shield bearing the Franklin arms
- 4 bronze Franklin medals (Loubat 15 and 16)
- 1 bronze portrait of Franklin mounted on a marble slab in a gilt oval frame
- 1 bisque medallion of Franklin
- 1 pencil sketch of a draft of the Franklin medal, by Dupré
- 2 white metal proofs (splashers) of Duvivier’s Washington Comitia Americana medal, apparently showing an earlier state of the die than was used in the creation of the Gold version presented to Washington by Congress
- 1 smaller proof of an unidentified portrait medal of Washington mounted together with the two splashers
- 1 bronze Daniel Morgan Comitia Americana medal
- 2 raised steel dies, representing the reverse and obverse of the Morgan Comitia Americana medal
- 1 large wax relief model of the Morgan medal reverse
- 1 bronze Nathanael Greene Comitia Americana medal
- 1 bronze John Paul Jones Comitia Americana medal
- 1 bronze portrait medallion of John Paul Jones, signed by Dupré
- 1 raised steel die and 2 broken, engraved steel dies from the so-called "Diplomatic Medal"
- 1 bronze Libertas Americana medal
- 2 framed, gilt plaster proofs of the Libertas Americana medal (1 obverse, 1 reverse). (Rare Books & Manuscripts)
