France French Maker's Marks / Hallmarks / Guarantee Stamps

[Marcus66]

Can anyone identify this mark on my Ordre Des Palmes Academiques - Officier de l'Instruction Publique?

 

Thanks so much…

 

Marcus

 

 

 

[Rusty Greaves]

I wish to illustrate a maker's mark for C. Massonnet et fils, a Parisian medallist and editor of the mid 19th-early 20th century. I came across this medallist while researching an Egyptian commemorative medal of the last Khedive of Egypt, Abbas Hilmi II, celebrating his return from the haj to Mecca and Al-Medina on 25 January, 1910 and commemorating the anniversary of his coronation on 8 January,1892. This medal was probably struck in 1910, it is gilt bronze, measures 70 mm in diameter, and weighs 121 g. The illustration of the obverse of this medal below (from a recent eBay auction: shows the name "MASSONNET . EDIT ." inside the lower left of the frame around the bust of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II.  

 

 

Charles Massonnet was the scion of this family of late 19th - early 20th century medallists. but this medal was likely executed by one of his sons, perhaps Francis Massonnet. There is minimal information on Massonet Éditeur (designer/engraver), they made prize medals, royal commemoratives, tokens, badges, etc., many engraved by other artists. Forrer has a short bio in his encyclopedic 8 volume set on medallists and engravers in Vol III on page 603 (Forrer, L. (Compiler), 1916. Biographical Dictionary of Medallists: Coin-, Gem-, Seal Engravers, Mint Masters &c., Ancient and Modern, with References to Their Works, B.C. 500-A.D. 1900, Vol III. Spink & Son Ltd., London). The entry in Vol III identifies a short inventory of medals struck between 1856 and 1890. In the 1930 Vol, VIII Supplement, Forrer identifies Francis Massonnet on page 33 and lists a few medals attributed to him between 1881 and 1905. The British Museum lists active dates for Massonnet Editeur as 1878-1910. I have seen images of medals with Massonet Ed./Edit. Éditeur from 1852-1878. There are 3 examples of an 1855 copper token (2.6 cm diameter, 4.7 g) marked on the obverse: “EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE 1855“ and “C. MASSONNET FILS ÉDITEUR”in the collections of the Les Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris (Numéros d’inventaire: NJ11735, NJ11336, and NJ12623). The reverse is marked: “C. MASSONET FILS ÉDITEUR DE MÉDAILLES IMPÉRIALES ÉXÉCUTÉES PAR LE GRAVEUR DU CABINET DE L’EMPEREUR, RUE GUÉNÉGAUD 19” (Paris). The Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris holds a 5 cm diamter, 53.79 g medal marked “MASSONNET. ED.” commemorating the founding of the Choral Society l’Odeon on 2 November in 1852 (Numéro d’inventaire: ND6145) that may have been struck in that year and could represent the earliest museum example of a Massonnet medal.  

 

 

Close-up of the mark "MASSONNET . EDIT ." on the interior of the frame in the lower left portion of the central portrait bust of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II on the obverse of this medal. This particular mark has a very light impression of the "M" in Massonnet. 

 

 

Edge of the medal showing the stamp “BRONZE” for this gilt bronze commemorative medal, the position of the Massonnet maker’s mark is to the right of that stamp. The bronze stamp is located approximately at the 9:15 position (relative to correct orientation of the obverse of the medal, the upper surface in this image) and the Massonnet mark is at the 10:00 position. 

 

 

Close-up of the maker’s mark  on the edge of the medal that shows a “C” and “M” on either side of an unspecified middle symbol. The obverse face is upwards in this image.The initials stand for Charles Massonnet. Unlike most French makers' marks that are normally within diamond-shaped cartouches, the Massonnet mark is unusual for using a square as the cartouche outline. 

 

 

 

The Abbas Hilmi II commemorative medal is the only commemorative medal struck by Massonnet during his reign (1892-1914). No other artist's name appears on this medal, so it is probably entirely the work of Massonnet. No other commemorative medals issued under Abbas Hilmi II were made by Massonnet. I have found only one other medal from Egypt that is marked with the Massonnet Éditeur name. The first photo above is the reverse of the 1869 commemorative medal of Ismaïl Pasha for the Opening of the Suez Canal that is the only other Egyptian medal I have found that was made by Massonnet Edit (from a past eBay auction). This medal is 50 mm in diameter in pewter (It also was struck in bronze). This medal bears the name of “MASSONNET EDITEUR” on the inferior margin of the reverse. The second photo above shows the obverse of this medal with the name “C. TROTIN” on the inferior margin of the design. Charles Trotin was a French 19th century die-sinker and medallist who evidently designed the obverse of this medal, I have not seen other medals where Trotin is the artist collaborating with Massonnet. Trotin was born in 1833 (death date unknown) and active from ~1858-1880s. 

 

 

The obverse design of the 1869 medal of Ismaïl Pasha commemorating the opening of the Suez Canal created by Charles Trotin also was used for another version commemorating the Suez Canal. I do not know which was struck first. The above medal in bronze bears the same reverse design (and signature of “C. TROTIN” on the inferior margin), but on the obverse (probably also by Trotin) it bears a right-facing bust of Victor Emanuel II, King of Italy (“VITTORIO EMANUELE II RE D’ITALIA”), who reigned as King of Italy from March 1861 until his death in January 1878. Charles Trotin has a brief biography on pp. 144-145 in the Forrer, L. (Compiler), 1916. Biographical Dictionary of Medallists: Coin-, Gem-, Seal Engravers, Mint Masters &c., Ancient and Modern, with References to Their Works, B.C. 500-A.D. 1900, Vol VI. Spink & Son Ltd., London.  After apprenticing in Falconnet's works in Paris he opened his own shop in 1858. Forrer lists several medals struck between 1875 until at least 1898, and another artist identified as "F. T." (F. Trotin, a son?),  also is listed in that Forrer biographical entry for Charles Trotin. 

 

 

Obverse of the Charles Trotin version of the medal commemorating the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 but with a bust of Victor Emanuel II, King of Italy as the sculpture on this bronze medal. 

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by Rusty Greaves

[Graf]

11 hours ago, Rusty Greaves said:

I wish to illustrate a maker's mark for C. Massonnet et fils, a Parisian medallist and editor of the mid 19th-early 20th century. I came across this medallist while researching an Egyptian commemorative medal of the last Khedive of Egypt, Abbas Hilmi II, celebrating his return from the haj to Mecca and Al-Medina on 25 January, 1910 and commemorating the anniversary of his coronation on 8 January,1892. This medal was probably struck in 1910, it is gilt bronze, measures 70 mm in diameter, and weighs 121 g. The illustration of the obverse of this medal below (from a recent eBay auction: shows the name "MASSONNET . EDIT ." inside the lower left of the frame around the bust of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II.  

 

 

Charles Massonnet was the scion of this family of late 19th - early 20th century medallists. but this medal was likely executed by one of his sons, perhaps Francis Massonnet. There is minimal information on Massonet Éditeur (designer/engraver), they made prize medals, royal commemoratives, tokens, badges, etc., many engraved by other artists. Forrer has a short bio in his encyclopedic 8 volume set on medallists and engravers in Vol III on page 603 (Forrer, L. (Compiler), 1916. Biographical Dictionary of Medallists: Coin-, Gem-, Seal Engravers, Mint Masters &c., Ancient and Modern, with References to Their Works, B.C. 500-A.D. 1900, Vol III. Spink & Son Ltd., London). The entry in Vol III identifies a short inventory of medals struck between 1856 and 1890. In the 1930 Vol, VIII Supplement, Forrer identifies Francis Massonnet on page 33 and lists a few medals attributed to him between 1881 and 1905. The British Museum lists active dates for Massonnet Editeur as 1878-1910. I have seen images of medals with Massonet Ed./Edit. Éditeur from 1852-1878. There are 3 examples of an 1855 copper token (2.6 cm diameter, 4.7 g) marked on the obverse: “EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE 1855“ and “C. MASSONNET FILS ÉDITEUR”in the collections of the Les Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris (Numéros d’inventaire: NJ11735, NJ11336, and NJ12623). The reverse is marked: “C. MASSONET FILS ÉDITEUR DE MÉDAILLES IMPÉRIALES ÉXÉCUTÉES PAR LE GRAVEUR DU CABINET DE L’EMPEREUR, RUE GUÉNÉGAUD 19” (Paris). The Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris holds a 5 cm diamter, 53.79 g medal marked “MASSONNET. ED.” commemorating the founding of the Choral Society l’Odeon on 2 November in 1852 (Numéro d’inventaire: ND6145) that may have been struck in that year and could represent the earliest museum example of a Massonnet medal.  

 

 

Close-up of the mark "MASSONNET . EDIT ." on the interior of the frame in the lower left portion of the central portrait bust of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II on the obverse of this medal. This particular mark has a very light impression of the "M" in Massonnet. 

 

 

Edge of the medal showing the stamp “BRONZE” for this gilt bronze commemorative medal, the position of the Massonnet maker’s mark is to the right of that stamp. The bronze stamp is located approximately at the 9:15 position (relative to correct orientation of the obverse of the medal, the upper surface in this image) and the Massonnet mark is at the 10:00 position. 

 

 

Close-up of the maker’s mark  on the edge of the medal that shows a “C” and “M” on either side of an unspecified middle symbol. The obverse face is upwards in this image.The initials stand for Charles Massonnet. Unlike most French makers' marks that are normally within diamond-shaped cartouches, the Massonnet mark is unusual for using a square as the cartouche outline. 

 

 

 

The Abbas Hilmi II commemorative medal is the only commemorative medal struck by Massonnet during his reign (1995-1914). No other artist's name appears on this medal, so it is probably entirely the work of Massonnet. No other commemorative medals issued under Abbas Hilmi II were made by Massonnet. I have found only one other medal from Egypt that marked with the Massonnet Éditeur mark. The first photo above is the reverse of the 1869 commemorative medal of Ismaïl Pasha for the Opening of the Suez Canal that is the only other Egyptian medal I have found that was made by Massonnet Edit (from a past eBay auction). This medal is 50 mm in diameter in pewter (It also was struck in bronze). This medal bears the name of “MASSONNET EDITEUR” on the inferior margin of the reverse. The second photo above shows the obverse of this medal with the name “C. TROTIN” on the inferior margin of the design. Charles Trotin was a French 19th century die-sinker and medallist who evidently designed the obverse of this medal, I have not seen other medals where Trotin is the artist collaborating with Massonnet. Trotin was born in 1833 (death date unknown) and active from ~1858-1880s. 

 

 

The obverse design of the 1869 medal of Ismaïl Pasha commemorating the opening of the Suez Canal created by Charles Trotin also was used for another version commemorating the Suez Canal. I do not know which was struck first. The above medal in bronze bears the same reverse design (and signature of “C. TROTIN” on the inferior margin), but on the obverse (probably also by Trotin) it bears a right-facing bust of Victor Emanuel II, King of Italy (“VITTORIO EMANUELE II RE D’ITALIA”), who reigned as King of Italy from March 1861 until his death in January 1878. Charles Trotin has a brief biography on pp. 144-145 in the Forrer, L. (Compiler), 1916. Biographical Dictionary of Medallists: Coin-, Gem-, Seal Engravers, Mint Masters &c., Ancient and Modern, with References to Their Works, B.C. 500-A.D. 1900, Vol VI. Spink & Son Ltd., London.  After apprenticing in Falconnet's works in Paris he opened his own shop in 1858. Forrer lists several medals struck between 1875 until at least 1898, and another artist identified as "F. T." (F. Trotin, a son?),  also is listed in that Forrer biographical entry for Charles Trotin. 

 

 

Obverse of the Charles Trotin version of the medal commemorating the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 but with a bust of Victor Emanuel II, King of Italy as the sculpture on this bronze medal. 

 

Excellent research Thank you