Matthew Boulton's Medallic Scale

Matthew Boulton's Medallic Scale, the original obverse and reverse dies, c.1803, by Conrad Heinrich Küchler, obv: bust of Boulton in intaglio, in frock coat, his hair en queue, MATT BOULTON ESQR …, rev: around a central sun the medallic scale in six concentric circles, the details in French, 56 x 68mm; 52 x 67mm (Pollard 27; BHM 462; Eimer 901B), small alignment marks at compass points on both dies around 'medal'. Good fine, the obverse surface showing rust damage, especially towards end of legend. (2)

Boulton had been angered by the French and, in particular Jean-Pierre Droz (1746-1823), who he had employed for a short while, but who now, he felt was claiming many of Boulton's inventions as his own. The medal spells out the many achievements of the Soho Mint in terms of output, etc. Boulton had originally conceived the idea of a smaller medal which was to be entrusted to another French medallist, R Dumarest, but Rouw's wax portrait of Boulton was undoubtedly worked by Küchler. The legend indicates the number of coins or medals of the diameter of each particular circle, that could be struck per minute, "by eight children without fatigue….".