The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 | Page 4

public gratitude are calculated to produce a laudable emulation, a genuine love of liberty, and all the virtues of real patriotism, not only among the innumerable generations who are yet to people the wastes of America, but on the human character in general. Nor do I make those apologies for the trouble I am now giving, which would be requisite, did I not feel a conviction that whatever is interesting to the national glory of America, to the good of posterity, or to the happiness of the human race, cannot be indifferent to a society composed of the most enlightened and liberal characters in Europe, fostered by the royal protection of a monarch whose name will forever be as dear to the United States as it will be glorious in the annals of mankind.
Being so unfortunate as not to be able to write myself in French, my intimate friend and brave companion in arms, M. le marquis de la Fayette, has had the goodness to make a translation of this letter into that language, which I inclose herewith.
I have the honour to be, with the most perfect respect, Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, D. HUMPHREYS.
[Footnote 2: I have not been able to find any trace of this memoir in the archives of the French Academy.]
A letter written by Franklin, about the same time, to John Jay, then Secretary for Foreign Affairs, is of much interest in this connection:
To the Honourable John JAY, Passy, May 10, 1785. Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
- - - - -
P.S. The striking of the medals being now in agitation here, I send the inclosed for consideration.
A thought concerning the Medals that are to be struck by (p.?xv) order of Congress.
The forming of dies in steel to strike medals or money, is generally with the intention of making a great number of the same form.
The engraving those dies in steel is, from the hardness of the substance, very difficult and expensive, but, once engraved, the great number to be easily produced afterward by stamping justifies the expense, it being but small when divided among a number.
Where only one medal of a kind is wanted, it seems an unthrifty way to form dies for it in steel to strike the two sides of it, the whole expense of the dies resting on that medal.
It was by this means that the medal voted by Congress for M. de Fleury cost one hundred guineas, when an engraving of the same figures and inscriptions might have been beautifully done on a plate of silver of the same size for two guineas.
The ancients, when they ordained a medal to record the memory of any laudable action, and do honour to the performer of that action, struck a vast number and used them as money. By this means the honour was extended through their own and neighbouring nations, every man who received or paid a piece of such money was reminded of the virtuous action, the person who performed it, and the reward attending it, and the number gave such security to this kind of monuments against perishing and being forgotten, that some of each of them exist to this day, though more than two thousand years old, and, being now copied in books by the arts of engraving and painting, are not only exceedingly multiplied but likely to remain some thousands of years longer.
The man who is honoured only by a single medal is obliged to show it to enjoy the honour, which can be done only to a few and often awkwardly. I therefore wish the medals of Congress were ordered to be money, and so continued as to be convenient money, by being in value aliquot parts of a dollar.
Copper coins are wanting in America for small change. We have none but those of the King of England. After one silver or gold medal is struck from the dies, for the person to be honoured, they may be usefully employed in striking copper money, or in some cases small silver.
The nominal value of the pieces might be a little more than the real, to prevent their being melted down, but not so much more as to be an encouragement of counterfeiting. I am, etc., B. FRANKLIN.
The Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres "entered on the (p.?xvi) discussion with the same alacrity as if the subject had been designed to illustrate the actions of their compatriots, or to immortalize some glorious events in the annals of their own nation."[3] Commissioners, consisting of four of its members, were at once appointed to suggest designs for the three medals asked for Generals Washington, Gates, and Greene.[4]
[Footnote 3: See A, page xxxiv.]
[Footnote 4: See B, page xxxvi.]
Through the courtesy of M. Narcisse Dupr��, son of Augustin Dupr��, I am enabled to give