Medal "In memory of Peter the Great's visit to the Paris Mint"

A rare medal in excellent condition. Dark bronze, gilding, stamping. In the center of the obverse is the profile of Tsar Peter I, facing to the right. He is depicted in an all-leather wig, armor and ermine mantle.The signature of DU VIVIER F. (Jean Duvivier fecit) is stamped on the edge of the shoulder, indicating the work of the famous French medallist Jean Duvivier. The text PETRUS ALEXIEWITZ TZAR MAG runs around the circle. RUSS. IMP., which stands for "Peter Alekseevich, Tsar the Great, Emperor of All Russia." In the center of the reverse, the winged goddess of Glory (Fama) flies against the backdrop of a landscape with hills and the rays of the rising sun. She holds two horns (trumpets) in her hands. A small standard is tied to the right horn, which schematically depicts St. George the Victorious striking a snake (the coat of arms of Moscow and an important symbol of the Russian state). At the top is the inscription "VIRES ACQUIRIT EUNDO". This is a quote from Virgil's poem The Aeneid, which translates as "Marching, gaining strength" (or "Growing as you move"). The phrase serves as an allegory of the tsar's travels abroad and the rapid growth of the power of the Russian Empire under his leadership. The inscription under the edge (in the excerpt) "LUTET. PARISI. M.D.CC.XVII». translated as "Lutetia Parisiorum, 1717." Lutetia is the ancient Roman name for Paris.

During his two—month visit to France in June (Old style - May) 1717, Peter the Great visited the Paris Mint. Right in the presence of the Russian tsar, French craftsmen minted this medal out of gold and presented it to him as a memorable gift. The tsar's retinue received similar copies in silver. The author of the portrait stamp on the obverse (obverse) and the overall design was the famous French medallist Jean Duvivier.