though more than two
thousand years old, and, being now copied in books by the arts of
engraving and painting, are not only exceedingly multiplied but
likely to remain some thousands of years longer.

The man who is honoured only by a single medal is obliged to show
it to enjoy the honour, which can be done only to a few and often
awkwardly. I therefore wish the medals of Congress were ordered
to be money, and so continued as to be convenient money, by being
in value aliquot parts of a dollar.

Copper coins are wanting in America for small change. We have
none but those of the King of England. After one silver or gold
medal is struck from the dies, for the person to be honoured,
they may be usefully employed in striking copper money, or in
some cases small silver.

The nominal value of the pieces might be a little more than the
real, to prevent their being melted down, but not so much more as
to be an encouragement of counterfeiting. I am, etc.,
B. FRANKLIN.

The Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres "entered on the (p. xvi)
discussion with the same alacrity as if the subject had been designed
to illustrate the actions of their compatriots, or to immortalize some
glorious events in the annals of their own nation."[3] Commissioners,
consisting of four of its members, were at once appointed to suggest
designs for the three medals asked for Generals Washington, Gates, and
Greene.[4]

[Footnote 3: See A, page xxxiv.]

[Footnote 4: See B, page xxxvi.]

Through the courtesy of M. Narcisse Dupre, son of Augustin Dupre, I am
enabled to give the contract between his father and Colonel Humphreys
for the engraving of the medal for General Greene:[5]

[Footnote 5: For the French original see C, page
xli.]

I, the undersigned, Augustin Dupre, engraver of medals and
medallist of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, bind
myself to Colonel Humphreys to engrave the medal representing the
portrait of General Greene. On the reverse, Victory treading
under her feet broken arms, with the legend and the exergue, and
I hold myself responsible for any breakage of the dies up to
twenty-four medals, and bind myself to furnish one at my own
expense (the diameter of the medal to