Medal commemorating Montgolfier balloon flight at Lyon, France, 1784.

Medal struck to commemorate the flight of 'Le Flesselles', at Lyon which carried seven people on 19 January 1784. The Montgolfier brothers named the balloon 'Le Flesselles' in honour of the Governor of Lyons who had sponsored the project. It was 131 feet high and 104 feet in diameter with a capacity of more than 700,000 cubic feet. The ascent was watched by over 100,000 people. The balloon reached a height of 3000 feet before a large tear in the fabric resulted in a rapid descent which left the seven aeronauts shaken but unhurt. The inscription describes the flight.