Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, 1611-1675, Vicomte de Turenne, Marshal of France 1643 [obverse] 1800

This bronze medal of Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne was made by Henri Auguste in the late 18th or early 19th century, long after Turenne's death. It memorializes a man who rose to the highest military ranks in a society deeply stratified by class. Turenne's identity was complex; born into nobility, he was raised Protestant in a largely Catholic France. His military success reflects the shifting political and religious landscapes of 17th-century Europe, where allegiance could be as strategic as it was personal. The medal declares "His glory belongs to the French people," a sentiment resonant with the French Revolution’s ideals of public virtue and national identity. It invites us to consider how societies choose their heroes and whose stories are elevated into national myth. This medal not only commemorates a man but also embodies the values a nation wished to project.