Offered for sale is this very beautiful and historically significant bronze table medal. These table medals were commissioned by the French Republic to be awarded to those American diplomatic officials who worked together with the French delegation to Washington D.C. in 1919. The French sent their mission to the United States to discuss the upcoming Treaty of Versailles.
The obverse of the medal features a prominent effigy of the “French Marianne”, the national personification of the French Republic. The medal is stamped “BRONZE”, and bares the inscription “S.E. VERNIER”. Emil Seraphin Vernier was a French artist, sculptor, metal worker and engraver for much of his life. Vernier was a distinguished sculptor and was commissioned by the French government to make numerous plaques. Vernier was commissioned to make many of these similar looking plaques, but I have only seen one or two others that commemorate the French diplomatic mission in 1919.
The reverse of the table medal indicates the express purpose for the award, and bares the engraving of “E. E. Workman”. I was unable to identify who Workman was, or what he did. In my research, it became ubundantly clear to me that these diplomatic corps were hundreds of people. Teams of economists, scientists, philosophers, military advisors, and such. Each of these teams had their own secretaries and personal staff. It’s safe to say there were thousands of people involved either directly or indirectly. It’s my belief that Workman was likely a top advisor to one of the many diplomats involved in the drafting of the treaty. Sadly Workman is lost to history, unless you are a talented researcher and up for the task…
This is a remarkable piece of history that perfectly illustrates part of the drafting of the doomed Treaty of Versailles.
Offered for sale is this very beautiful and historically significant bronze table medal. These table medals were commissioned by the French Republic to be awarded to those American diplomatic officials who worked together with the French delegation to Washington D.C. in 1919. The French sent their mission to the United States to discuss the upcoming Treaty of Versailles.
The obverse of the medal features a prominent effigy of the “French Marianne”, the national personification of the French Republic. The medal is stamped “BRONZE”, and bares the inscription “S.E. VERNIER”. Emil Seraphin Vernier was a French artist, sculptor, metal worker and engraver for much of his life. Vernier was a distinguished sculptor and was commissioned by the French government to make numerous plaques. Vernier was commissioned to make many of these similar looking plaques, but I have only seen one or two others that commemorate the French diplomatic mission in 1919.
The reverse of the table medal indicates the express purpose for the award, and bares the engraving of “E. E. Workman”. I was unable to identify who Workman was, or what he did. In my research, it became ubundantly clear to me that these diplomatic corps were hundreds of people. Teams of economists, scientists, philosophers, military advisors, and such. Each of these teams had their own secretaries and personal staff. It’s safe to say there were thousands of people involved either directly or indirectly. It’s my belief that Workman was likely a top advisor to one of the many diplomats involved in the drafting of the treaty. Sadly Workman is lost to history, unless you are a talented researcher and up for the task…
This is a remarkable piece of history that perfectly illustrates part of the drafting of the doomed Treaty of Versailles.
