France, 1892 art medal, 68mm 140g approx in bronze, by Ponscarme, in very fine condition as scanned, rim knocks, edge marked bronze with horn (Paris mint).### FAST EZ & HASSLE FREE TRANSACTIONS FROM PARIS TO TEXAS OR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ###

ABOUT THE ARTIST Hubert (François Joseph) PONSCARME (1827-1903), French Sculptor, Coin and Gem Engraver, Medallist, born at Belmont-les-Monthureux (Vosges), died at Malakoff (Hauts-de-Seine). He was a pupil of Oudiné, Vauthié, A.Dumont and Merley. Deuxième Grand Prix de Rome de gravure en médailles in 1855, the Premier Prix was won by Alphée Dubois that year. Médaille de troisième classe in 1859, 1861, 1863 and première classe in 1867 et 1878 at the Exposition Universelles. He was a portraitist of Napoleon III. In 1895 he created new style of medal making which would develop into the Belle Époque. He had two famous pupils : Ovide Yencesse and Alexandre Charpentier.

Félix Jules Méline (French pronunciation: ​[ʒyl melin]; 20 May 1838 – 21 December 1925) was a French statesman, prime minister from 1896 to 1898. Méline was born at Remiremont. Having taken up law as his profession, he was chosen a deputy in 1872, and in 1879 he was for a short time under-secretary to the minister of the interior. In 1880 he came to the front as the leading spokesman of the party which favoured the protection of French industries, and he had a considerable share in fashioning the protectionist legislation of the years 1890–1902. From 1883 to 1885 Méline was minister for agriculture, and in 1888–1889 he was president of the Chamber of Deputies. In 1896 he became premier (président du conseil) and minister for agriculture, offices which he vacated in 1898.[1] At one time he edited La République francaise, and after his retirement from public life he wrote Le Retour de la terre et Ia surproduction industrielle, tout en faveur de l'agriculture (1905).[1]The introduction of French protectionist measure of 1892 is named after him, the Méline tariff.[