France, Ii Empire. An Agricultural Board Of Saint-André-De-Cubzac Award Medal

In silver, hallmarked and marked "ARGENT" (silver) on the edge, obverse illustrating the right-facing bust of Emperor Napoleon III, inscribed "NAPOLEON III" at the left and "EMPEREUR" to the right, engraver marked "BARRE" below the bust, reverse illustrating a wreath composed of oak leaves and laurel leaves, along with pine cones and grape bunches, the wreath interspersed with the heads of a horse, a bull, a dog and a ram, with a plough at the base of the wreath, surrounded by the inscription "COMICE AGRICOLE DE ST ANDRÉ DECUBZAC" (Agricultural Board of Saint-André-de-Cubzac) and numbered "186" below the plough, measuring 41.5 mm in diameter, spotting evident on the reverse, very light contact overall, near extremely fine. In its hardshelled case of issue, maroon dimpled exterior, inside lid in white cotton, padded and maker marked "A. Chobillon 21. 22. GALERIE MONTPENSIER PALAIS-ROYAL" (Adrien Chobillon), medal bed in maroon felt and recessed, measuring 71 mm (w) x 71 mm (h) x 19 mm (d), exhibiting wear on the paper covering on the bottom, case near fine.

Footnotes:

1. Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; April 20, 1808 - January 9, 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew of Napoleon I, he was the last monarch to rule over France. Elected to the presidency of the Second Republic in 1848, he seized power by force in 1851, when he could not constitutionally be re-elected; he later proclaimed himself Emperor of the French. He founded the Second Empire, reigning until the defeat of the French Army and his capture by Prussia and its allies at the Battle of Sedan in 1870. Napoleon III was a popular monarch, who oversaw the modernization of the French economy and filled Paris with new boulevards and parks. He expanded the French overseas empire and made the French merchant navy the second largest in the world, engaged in the Second Italian War of Independence as well as the disastrous Franco-Prussian War, in which he commanded his soldiers during the fight and was captured.

2. Saint-André-de-Cubzac is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France. Its inhabitants are called Cubzaguais.