FRANCE - FRANCE First Empire / Napoleon I (1804-1814). Medal, Ecole des Mines du Mont Blanc de Peisey-Vallandry, by Andrieu and Brenet An XIII (1805), Paris. Av. NAPOLEON - EMPEROR. Upright head of Napoleon I; below signatures DENON DIR./ ANDRIEU F. Rv. Mont Blanc in the form of a bearded giant, with miners working under a rock; in the exergue: ECOLE DES MINES DU/ MONT BLANC and signatures BRENET. F. and DENON. D. Br.472 - Jul.1496 - Ess.1121; Silver - 37.65 g - 41 mm - 12 h On the edge: SILVER FROM THE PESEY MINES AN XIII. The fields rubbed and marked with small marks. Grey patina. TTB to Superb. The commune of Peisey (now Peisey-Vallandry, 73210) was called "Les Monts d'Argent" during the French Revolution, reflecting the importance of the lead and silver mines. Discovered in 1644, the vein of galena (silver lead sulphide) was mined until 1866. Throughout the First Empire (1802-1814), Peisey was home to the École Française des Mines. Seventy engineers were trained here before the school was transferred to Paris (École Nationale Supérieure des Mines).