Louis XIV: Birth of the duc de Berry, 31 August 1686

In 1663, King Louis XIV (b. 1638, r. 1643-1715) established the Académie Royale des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres to organize the creation of commemorative medals that celebrated the glorious events of his reign. By 1723, eight years after the king’s death, the so-called medallic history of Louis XIV (Histoire métallique du Roy) comprised nine hundred medals including variants. On its front (obverse) each medal in the series bore a magnificent profile portrait of the king and on its back (reverse) a figurative image and inscription that commemorated an individual event for posterity.

The gifted, prolific medallist, Jean Mauger, who worked at the Paris mint from 1685 until his death in 1722, was responsible for two hundred fifty medals in the series. His iconic depictions of Louis XIV in middle age, as seen here, sublimely captured the Sun King’s absolute sovereignty, prompting rulers across Europe to style their medallic portraits after his example. The reverse of the Birth of the duc de Berry celebrates Louis XIV’s dynastic strength by featuring the portraits of his son and heir to the throne, Le Grand Dauphin Louis of France, the dauphin’s three sons, and the birthdate of the youngest, Charles Duke of Berry.

Medals from the Histoire métallique du Roy were struck in gold, silver, and bronze and often were given as signs of royal favor. To increase their beauty and preciousness, some rare bronze examples, such as this, were embellished with gold.