France. Le Havre Maritime Exhibition Medal, 1868. Napoleon III. Silver. PCGS SP64.
Awarded to Thomas Silver of New York. Jugate busts of Napoleon III and the Imperial Prince left, legends around; Reverse: Crowned arms of Le Havre, supported by serpents holding tridents right and trident and caduceus left, divided nine-line inscription, four-line inscription in exergue within rectangular boarder, wreath below, legend around.
According to the Catalogue of Ship Models and Marine Engineering in the South Kensington Museum, Thomas Silver was the inventor of several governors (systems used to maintain the mean speed of an engine under fluctuating load conditions) for land and marine steam vessels. The catalog notes, "these governors . . . are intended principally for controlling the marine engines of screw steamships and preventing what is technically known as 'racing.' They were adopted for use by the British Admiralty in 1869."
PCGS Certification Number: 38309220
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