Rare giant Patey medal found in France
By Michael Brady
Two bronze medallions engraved by the legendary French engraver Henri
Auguste Jules Patey (1855-1930) have been found in France and acquired
by Jan Olav Aamlid of Oslo Mynthandel. Each is 25 cm (about 10 in.)
in diameter and of exactly the same design as the obverse of the 50
mm and 30 mm diameter gold, silver and bronze metals struck at the
Paris Mint on commission from King Rama V of Thailand to commemorate
his royal tour of Europe, from April 7 to December 16, 1897. Only
ten of the medallions are known to exist. Aamlid, an expert on the
medals and coinage of Thailand, believes that they were cast directly
from the full-sized plaster negatives of the obverse design for the
50 mm and 30 mm medals.
The design of the 50 mm and 30 mm medals reflects both the royalty
of the King and the artistry of the mint. Around the rim, there is
an inscription in French which reads MONNAIE DE PARIS, BRONZE. The
obverse shows King Rama V facing right with his name round the edge.
The reverse bears an inscription in Thai that in translation reads
To Commemorate the Royal Tour of Europe from April 7 to December 16,
Rattanakosin 30 Era 116.
The larger medallions have the full obverse design, but neither edge
lettering nor reverse design. They are identical, save in one respect.
Patey's name is not below the bust, as was the de facto artist's signature
position in coins of the late 19th century. On one medal, Patey's
name appears on the King's left shoulder, while the other has it prominently
in the field above. As the shoulder positions appeared in Patey's
patterns for Thai silver coins struck in 1908 to 1910 whilst the in-field
position was used on bronze medals of that period, the two medallions
are most likely sibling artistic experiments for the coinage and medals
to come. Each medallion has a metal eye affixed on its reverse side,
near its uppermost edge. So another theory holds that the medallions
were not made to be sold, but were made on special order from His
Majesty, King Rama V.
Patey worked in the early days of photography, when speed and accuracy
were the hallmarks of a master engraver. In April 1896, at the age
of 40, he was appointed chief engraver of coins at Monnaie de Paris
(Paris Mint). The following year, King Rama V of Thailand visited
the Mint, and was so impressed with the work done there that he asked
that a medal commemorating his European tour be struck. On one day's
notice, Patey sculpted the pattern in just one sitting with the King,
then just three days short of his 44th birthday. It was a commission
of far-reaching consequences.
When shown the first 50 mm proof medal, the King was so pleased that
he asked that it also be issued in reduced 30 mm size, so it could
be hung on a ribbon and worn as a decoration. In 1897, the Thai monetary
system converted to the decimal system, as used in France, and was
based on the Baht, divided into 100 Satang. In the years that followed,
Patey and the Paris Mint produced the bulk of the new designs for
Thai coins.
"Hundreds of the 50 mm and 30 mm silver and bronze Rama V 1897
commemorative medals are now in public and private collections. In
addition, though it's rare, a 41 mm diameter silver medal commemorating
the royal visit and depicting The Mint on its obverse, with a reverse
text in French, is more numerous. But only ten of the large 25 cm
medallions are known," Aamlid observes: "Their exceptional
infrequency and the elan of their designer combine to make them both
collectable and costly." Their value? "Around a hundred
thousand dollars each," he believes.
