LEMAY, CLAUDE (sometimes called DE MAY). (French). Mintengraver at Paris, from before 1527 to 1552; he was born circa 1495; brother of Jean Lemay, Jeton Engraver (1515-1555), and no doubt a relative of Guillaume Lemay (1493-1523) and François Lemay (1532). He filled the office of Mint-engraver for at least twenty-five years; on the 11th of March 1552, the Cour des Monnaies allowed him an assistant, in consideration of his failing eyesight, in the person of his son-in-law, Jean I. Beaucousin. Claude Lemay does not appear to have always fulfilled his duties to the satisfaction of the Mint-masters, and in 1542 he was even threatened with imprisonment if he did not supply the Mint with the necessary dies. The following are some of the coins engraved by him : 1528. Poitiers. Ecus d'or au soleil; — Gros Testons; — Tours. Écus d'or au soleil; — 1529. Saint-Lô. Écus d'or; — Douzains; — Petits Deniers (the dies for all these were delivered to Julien Roupelin, Mint-master at St-Lô); — 1530. Angers. Grands Blancs; — 1531- Troyes. Half Testons ; — 1533. Tours. Gros Testons of ten sols tournois ; — Angers. Écus d'or ; — Douzains ; — Poitiers. Écus d'or ; — Testons ; — Half Testons ; — 1535. Troyes. Petits Deniers tournois; — 1536. Paris. Écus d'or; — Testons; — Half Testons; — Grands blancs douzains; — Deniers tournois; — Rennes. Testons ; — Half Testons; — 1538. Rouen. Écus d'or au soleil ; — Half Ecus ; — Poitiers. Testons; — Troyes. Grands blancs douzains; — 1539. Rouen. Écus d'or au soleil ; — Half Ecus ; — Troyes. Petits deniers tournois (dies supplied by Jean Lemay, brother of Claude); — 1540. Paris. Dies for various coins ; — Troyes. Ecus d'or au soleil ; — Grands blancs douzains; — 1541. Paris. Petits deniers (with the distinctive mark of Christophe Laune ; — Petits deniers tournois ; — Ecus d'or au soleil; — Half Ecus ; — Douzains; — 1542. Paris. Various dies, with the distinctive mark of Bastien de Riberolles, Mintmaster at Paris ; — Poitiers. Douzains ; — Doubles tournois “ Gabouris et lyards Nostre-Dame de Lozanne"; — Paris. Testons and Half Testons; — Douzains; — 1543. Paris. Grands blancs douzains ; — Petits deniers tournois ; — Various Piéforts; — 1545. Poitiers. Dies for Ecus d'or supplied to Jean Gaillandon, Mintengraver there; — 1548. Rouen. Grands blancs, with the distinctive mark of Cosme du Moustier; — 1 549. Ecus d'or and Grands blancs douzains (the dies for which were destroyed, on account of the omission of the figure 2 after (Henricus); — 1550. Dijon. Gros Testons ; — Half gros Testons ; — Poitiers. Douzains ; — 1551. Villeneuve- Saint-André-lés- Avignon. Testons ; — Half Testons ; — Nantes. Douzains. Lemay engraved also a number of jetons, which are described by Mazerolle : 1527. Méreaux for the priests in the service of the Paris drapers ; — 1528. Jetons for the officers of Cardinal Louis de Bourbon ; — Jetons for the Chambre des Comptes of Louise of Savoy, at Moulins; — 1529. Jetons for Jacques de Seurre ; — Francois de Brebille ; — Nicolas Berthereau ; — 1531- Jetons for the officers of the Lady de Chasellaine; — 1532. Jetons with the arms of the Enfants de France; — 1533. Sieur de la Baudrairie and Maîtres d'hôtel of Margaret of France; — 1534- Jean Luillier; — Officers of Catherine de' Medici, Duchess of Orleans, Madeleine, and Margaret of France; — Jetons with arms of Francis I. and his children; — 1536. Jetons banaux; — 1540. Jean Lefebvre, seigneur de Moyenval, and Marie de Saint-Germain, his wife ; — Jacques de Poussemothe-Salainsau, and Alphonsine de Naillac, his wife; — 1541. Jetons for the Duke Charles of Orleans ; — Antoine de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme; — Margaret of France; — Sieurs de Canappe and de Saint-Ravy ; — Jetons banaux; — Jetons for a Clerc d'office of Charles of Orleans; — 1542 and 1544. Jetons for Cardinal Robert de Lenoncourt; — 1543 . Jetons for the Privy Council ; — Guy XVII. de Montmorency, seigneur de Laval, and Claude de Foix, his wife; — Maîtres d'hôtel ordinaires of the King; — 1544. Privy Council; — Oudard Hennequin, Bishop of Troyes; — Astremoine Dubois, the King's silversmith; — 1545 . Jetons for the King's commissioners; — Privy Council; — 1548. Jetons for the Vergers of St. Eustache Church of Paris ; — 1549. Jetons banaux. According to Rondot, Claude Lemay was Mint-engraver at Troyes in 1548. Rondot (later) and De la Tour make the latter another person. Bibliography. — Mazerolle, Médailleurs francais, 1902.
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
Mint master:
In medieval and early modern Germany, the Münzmeister ("mint master", the Latin term is monetarius) was the director or administrator of a mint, a moneyer with responsibility for the minting of coins, or specie. His duties were defined differently at different locations and ages.
LAUNE, CHISTOPHE DE
LAUNE, CHISTOPHE DE (French). Mint-master at Paris (1540-1541), Mint-master and Engraver and Tours (1539-1540 and 1542-1553). He was still living in 1556. In 1540 he had some differences with Claude Lemay, a Paris Mint-engraver, in connection with an issue of jetons. An official of the name of ANTOINE LAUNE filled the post of secretary under his administration. Christoph Laune's distinctive mark occurs on Petits Deniers of the Paris Mint, 1541, and Testons and Douzains of Tours, 1549. He is the ...
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LAUNE, CHISTOPHE DE (French). Mint-master at Paris (1540-1541), Mint-master and Engraver and Tours (1539-1540 and 1542-1553). He was still living in 1556. In 1540 he had some differences with Claude Lemay, a Paris Mint-engraver, in connection with an issue of jetons. An official of the name of ANTOINE LAUNE filled the post of secretary under his administration. Christoph Laune's distinctive mark occurs on Petits Deniers of the Paris Mint, 1541, and Testons and Douzains of Tours, 1549. He is the ...
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LAURANA, FRANCESCO
LAURANA, FRANCESCO (Ital.). Painter, Sculptor and Medallist, circ. 1430-1501; a native of the ancient fortified city of the Templars, La Vrana or Laurana, near Zara. In Neapolitan documents his name occurs also as Francesco Adzara (for Francesco da Zara). Laurana, the favourite Sculptor and Medallist of René of Anjou, Count of Provence and King of Naples (1458-1480) is the first champion of the Renaissance in France. Between 1468 and 1471, a Franciscus Laurana, habitator urbis Panormi et civitat...
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LAURANA, FRANCESCO (Ital.). Painter, Sculptor and Medallist, circ. 1430-1501; a native of the ancient fortified city of the Templars, La Vrana or Laurana, near Zara. In Neapolitan documents his name occurs also as Francesco Adzara (for Francesco da Zara). Laurana, the favourite Sculptor and Medallist of René of Anjou, Count of Provence and King of Naples (1458-1480) is the first champion of the Renaissance in France. Between 1468 and 1471, a Franciscus Laurana, habitator urbis Panormi et civitat...
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LAVAU, ANDRÉ
LAVAU, ANDRÉ (French). Gem-engraver, and Die-sinker of Bordeaux, born in 1722, died on the 28th of February, 1808. He was a pupil of Roettiers of Antwerp. By him are five jetons of the College of Surgeons of Bordeaux, one of which, signed on both sides, represents on obv. SS. Cosmus and Damianus and on R. a view of the College. He also engraved a signet with a head of Hercules, executed after the antique, and to wnich he devoted ten years; M. de Fayolle terms this " unpur chef-d'?uvre " ; and a ...
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LAVAU, ANDRÉ (French). Gem-engraver, and Die-sinker of Bordeaux, born in 1722, died on the 28th of February, 1808. He was a pupil of Roettiers of Antwerp. By him are five jetons of the College of Surgeons of Bordeaux, one of which, signed on both sides, represents on obv. SS. Cosmus and Damianus and on R. a view of the College. He also engraved a signet with a head of Hercules, executed after the antique, and to wnich he devoted ten years; M. de Fayolle terms this " unpur chef-d'?uvre " ; and a ...
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LAVÉE, ADOLPHE JULES
LAVÉE, ADOLPHE JULES (French). Contemporary Medallist, born at Morlaix (Finist?re); pupil of Degeorge and Dantzell. He formerly worked for many years for M. Desaide, the medal-publisher. At the Salon of 1881 he exhibited a medal, Art & Industry R. Arms of Tours ; — in 1881, Portrait of M. Thomas, senior member of Paris public notaries, and a Prize-medal for Rifle Clubs; — 1883 . Nautical Medal; — Prize Medal for Athletic Sports; — 1884. Inauguration of the Railway of the Asturias; — Medal of the...
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LAVÉE, ADOLPHE JULES (French). Contemporary Medallist, born at Morlaix (Finist?re); pupil of Degeorge and Dantzell. He formerly worked for many years for M. Desaide, the medal-publisher. At the Salon of 1881 he exhibited a medal, Art & Industry R. Arms of Tours ; — in 1881, Portrait of M. Thomas, senior member of Paris public notaries, and a Prize-medal for Rifle Clubs; — 1883 . Nautical Medal; — Prize Medal for Athletic Sports; — 1884. Inauguration of the Railway of the Asturias; — Medal of the...
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