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France - 1805

Couronnement à Milan

Obverse
Obverse:
Head of Napoleon encircled with a wreath of laurel.
Legend:
NAPOLEON EMPEREUR.
Exergue:
DENON DIR. ANDRIEU F.
Size:
40 mm.
Reverse
Reverse:
the crown of Agilulfus, King of Lombardy; round the margin, AGILVLFUS . GRATIA . DEI . GLORIOSUS . REX.
Legend:
NAPOLEON . ROI . D'ITALIE.
Exergue:
COURONNÉ . A . MILAN . LE . XXIII. MAI . M.DCCCV. DENON . DT. JALEY . FT.

Vern's Comments:

The detail just had to be seen. The legend "round the margin" is the tiny lettering you see below the figures. Each of the figures is only 5 mm tall.

Laskey:

Bonaparte having assumed the title of Emperor of the Gauls, solicitations were sent from all parts of Italy, entreating him to take upon himself and his heirs the Italian diadem. On the 23rd of May, 1805, he was crowned at Milan with the greatest splendour and magnificence.
 
Seated upon a superb throne, he had on his right the honours of the empire, on his left, the honours of Italy, before him the honours of Charlemagne; he was invested with the usual insignia of royalty by the Cardinal Archbishop, and ascending the altar, he took the iron crown, and placing it on his head, exclaimed, being part of the ceremony used at the enthronement of the Lombard kings, "Dieu me la donne, gare à qui la touche;" God gives it me, beware those who touch it.
 
Being thus invested, he constituted a new order of knighthood by the name of the Iron Crown, and soon completed the organization of the new kingdom, appointing Prince Eugene Beauharnois the first Viceroy.
 
Agilulfus, whose crown is here represented, was crowned King of the Lombards, at Milan, A. D. 591; in a great degree the reign of Bonaparte assimilates itself with that of the Lombard King Agilulfus. See Universal History.
Bonaparte having assumed the title of Emperor of the Gauls, solicitations were sent from all parts of Italy, entreating him to take upon himself and his heirs the Italian diadem. On the 23rd of May, 1805, he was crowned at Milan with the greatest splendour and magnificence.
 
Seated upon a superb throne, he had on his right the honours of the empire, on his left, the honours of Italy, before him the honours of Charlemagne; he was invested with the usual insignia of royalty by the Cardinal Archbishop, and ascending the altar, he took the iron crown, and placing it on his head, exclaimed, being part of the ceremony used at the enthronement of the Lombard kings, "Dieu me la donne, gare à qui la touche;" God gives it me, beware those who touch it.
 
Being thus invested, he constituted a new order of knighthood by the name of the Iron Crown, and soon completed the organization of the new kingdom, appointing Prince Eugene Beauharnois the first Viceroy.
 
Agilulfus, whose crown is here represented, was crowned King of the Lombards, at Milan, A. D. 591; in a great degree the reign of Bonaparte assimilates itself with that of the Lombard King Agilulfus. See Universal History.

Bramsen:

Bramsen - 418
Couronnement à Milan (Jaley)
NAPOLEON EMPEREUR. Tête laurée, à droite. Rev: NAPOLEON. ROI. D'ITALIE. La couronne de fer des rois lombards. Sur le cercle inférieur de la couronne: AGILVLFVS. GRATIA. DEI GLORIOSVS. REX.
Exergue: COURONNÉ. A. MILAN. LE. XXIII. MAI. M.DCCCV.
Médaille, 40 mm. - T. N. 7, 5; H. m. 33, 96; M. F. 352, 22.

d'Essling:

d'Essling - 1072
Napoléon, roi d'Italie, couronné à Milan (Andrieu et Jaley)
Tête laurée de Nap. à dr. Couronne de fer.
(TN. 7.5 - M. 96 - B. 418) Arg. et br. (2 var. d'avers).