A new reference — A Napoleonic Medal Primer by David T. Alexander — published by Amazon Books, is now available for retail purchase by collectors for $50 per copy.

The 190-page softcover book, profusely illustrated in color, was designed by Lianna Spurrier for the Newman Numismatic Portal (https://nnp.wustl.edu/).

Alexander explained, “Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) transformed France, Europe and in some measure the world during his short lifetime, not only through his unrivalled military conquests but in the civil sphere, where his Code Napoléon continues as the basis of much of European jurisprudence in the 21st century.”

Much of Napoleon’s history is captured through medallic art, according to Alexander, with an estimated 2,600 types devoted to his life and career from the Italian campaign of the 1790s to his death on the island of Saint Helena in 1821, his entombment in the Invalides in Paris in 1840 and later memorial issues down to the 21st century.

An annotated bibliography includes a specialized listing of medal references published since 1817. A basic medal vocabulary is featured, along with data on Napoleon’s family, and a listing of designers and engravers of the medals since 1796.

Of special value to perplexed collectors is the author’s detailed listing and explanation of edge devices used since 1832 on products of the Monnaie de Paris, the Paris Mint.

Alexander may be reached via email at alexander.numismatics@gmail.com.

He is the author of the monthly “The Research Desk” column for Coin World and the author of several other books on medallic art.

Connect with Coin World:  
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory  
Like us on Facebook  
Follow us on Twitter