Page 196 - Features of an Era

On the commemorative level, we find many medals that recall many memories of
important events associated with famous figures, including medals of a political and
military style such as these in which it is possible to review milestones in the progress
of the French campaign on Egypt.

The most important medals that are memorials of these milestones are like a A
commemorative medal issued by the French campaign on Egypt marking the conquest
of Upper Egypt, a medal on one side bears the bust of Napoléon Bonaparte and the
other side depicts the scene of his stand before the pyramids, saying his known
quote «From the heights of these pyramids, forty centuries look down on us», and
a medal of Bonaparte whose bust appears on one side surrounded by the legend
«BOUNAPARTE LIBERATEUR DE L’EGYPTE» and on the other side the Greek god
Mercury (Hermes) before the pyramids surrounded by the legend LE HÉROS RENDU
A SA PATRIE.

We also see a commemorative medal documenting the French campaign’s conquest
of Lower Egypt. One side shows a scene representing the Nile, and the other side
depicts the pyramid. Furthermore, a commemorative medal honoring the memory of
General Kléber. One side shows his bust, and the other side bears inscription of the
names of the battles he fought, along with the dates of his birth and death.

A commemorative medal issued by the
French campaign on Egypt marking the
conquest of Upper Egypt, signed by «Galle

F.», silver, diam. 3.4 cm.

A commemorative medal documenting
Napoléon Bonaparte’s arrival to Cairo on
July 25th, 1798, signed by A. Bovy, diam.

4.1 cm, 1798.

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