FRANCE - FRANCE Third Republic (1870-1940). Medal, Orphée ou la Musique, by L. Coudray, Frappe spéciale (SP) ND (1899), Paris. Av. Bust of Orpheus clutching his lyre. A laurel wreath adorns his hair, which is loose and fluttering in the wind. His painful face expresses the despair he feels at the death of Eurydice. Signed L Coudray on the right. Rv. An angel holding a feather and a trumpet looks behind him, a score unfurled on his thigh. He is seated on a cartouche below which a violin is placed on a laurel wreath. Maier 223 - MdP.M.44 (obverse); Silver - 162.1 g - 68 mm - 12 h Top Pop: this is the most beautiful graded example! PCGS SP65 (59809501). Special strike (SP). Silver hallmark on the edge. With a matt grey patina, barely touched on the high points of the relief. Almost Fleur de coin. This is the most famous medal by Marie-Alexandre-Lucien Coudray (1864-1932), who probably produced it during his stay at the Villa Médicis and sold the rights to the Monnaie de Paris in 1899. More than 4,500 copies were sold at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris. * Following Council Directive (EU) 2022/542 of April 5, 2022, implemented in national law from 01/01/2025, buyers from within the EU have to pay 5.5% VAT on the hammer price of this lot. * Following Council Directive (EU) 2022/542 of April 5, 2022, implemented in national law from 01/01/2025, buyers from within the EU have to pay 5.5% VAT on the hammer price of this lot.