Rare French Industrial Commemorative Medal Société Coignet Centenary 1818-1918

This is a RARE French Art Nouveau commemorative bronze medal issued in 1918 to celebrate the centenary (100th anniversary) of Coignet & Cie. (later known as Société Coignet), a pioneering Lyon-based French chemical company founded in 1818 as the first industrial-scale manufacturer of gelatin in the world. The firm, initially focused on gelatin/glue production from animal byproducts, expanded under subsequent generations (notably Jean-François Coignet and his son François Coignet) into broader chemicals (e.g., dyes, phosphorus derivatives, fertilizers, matches) by the mid-19th century, and later became famous for innovations in agglomerated concrete and reinforced concrete starting in the 1850s.

This centennial medal commemorates 100 years of innovation — from 1818 gelatin production to early 20th-century industrial diversification — and exemplifies early 20th-century French medallic art with rich patina, sharp details, and symbolic depth. Ideal for collectors of Art Nouveau, French industrial history, chemical/engineering heritage, or Lucien Coudray-signed pieces.