The medal was originally conceived by Benjamin Franklin after being asked to create a monument in honor of the
Siege of Yorktown. Franklin outlined his idea in a letter to
Robert Livingston on March 4, 1782. The reverse design was further developed by Esprit-Antoine Gibelin and
Augustin Dupré. The medal was minted in copper, silver, and gold. The only two gold medals were presented to
Louis XVI and
Marie Antoinette. It is presumed they were lost in the
French Revolution and never found. == Design ==