British and World Historical Medals

FRANCE, Freemasons and the Paris Commune, 1871, a copper medal signed F.T., 45mm (Lab. 490); together with other French copper medals (4), of Marquise de Sevigne, Perronet, Gambetta, etc [5]. First good very fine and scarce, others fine to very fine £150-200

Provenance: E.W. Danson Collection.

On 29 April 1871 several thousand freemasons gathered for a large demonstration before the Versaillan forces. The meeting that followed was not a success and led to the crushing of the commune by the Versaillans. Unlike the Parisian lodges, those in the provinces did not support the commune