Nomos 5

France. Louis XVI. 1774-1793. Medal (Silver, 73.2mm, 235.30 g 12), on the festivities held in Paris after the birth of the Dauphin, by B. du Vivier, Paris, 1782. LUDOV.XVI.ET MAR.ANT.AUSTR.FR.ET NAV.REGI ET REGINAE Jugate busts right of Louis XVI, wearing formal dress, Order of the Golden Fleece and sash, and Marie Antoinette, wearing jeweled robe and necklace; under shoulder; B.DU VIVIER; in exergue; LUTETIA. Rev. SOLEMNIA DELPHINI NATALITIA / REGE ET REGINA URBEM / INVISENTIBUS XXI.JANU. / MDCCLXXXII The royal couple standing left, Marie Antoinette holding a pomegranate and Louis extending his hand toward Lutetia, wearing mural crown and robes, kneeling right and holding the arms of the city with her right hand and pointing towards a richly laden table with her left; behind the royal pair on the right, Industria kneeling left, holding caduceus and cornucopiae. H. Nocq, Les Duvivier (Paris 1911) 214. Very rare. An attractive and massive medal, attractively toned. Some minor marks, otherwise, about extremely fine.

Ex Künker 302, 27 October 2005, 60.

After an embarrassing number of years without issue, Marie Antoinette gave birth to her first child, Marie Thérèse, in 1778 (she was Queen of France for approximately 20 minutes in 1830). An heir to the throne, Louis Joseph, was born on 22 October 1781: his birth was accompanied by great rejoicing and there were celebrations held later in that year and in 1782 (which this rare medal commemorates). He was a bright but sickly child and died of tuberculosis in 1789; apparently the same fate took the life of his brother, Louis-Charles (1785-1795) who died in captivity after the Revolution.