Item number: M127

Year: AD 1970-1980

Material: Bronze Gilt

Size: 35.4 x 98.7 x 1.8 / 11.4 x 62.6 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 28.0 / 2.2 g

The results after XRF testing

Provenance: Private Collector, France, 2022

These two medals are the full size and miniature versions of the Indochina Campaign Commemorative Medal awarded by France. Established on August 1, AD 1953, it was presented to members of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps who participated in the Indochina War. (To be eligible, French and French colonial military personnel must have served for at least three months in the Indochina theatre of operations.)

The appearance of the medal is that of a circular bronze gilt plaque. On the obverse side, from top to bottom, there is a depiction of a three-headed elephant, a plaque inscribed with the French word “Indochine” (Indochina) in the centre of the medal, and a seven-headed cobra at the bottom. Along the edge of the medal, “REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” is engraved, which translates to “French Republic.”

On the reverse side, the inscription “Corps Expéditionnaire Français d’Extrême-Orient,” meaning “French Far East Expeditionary Corps”, surrounds the oak and laurel leaves. There is also an ornamental dragon clasp at the connexion point between the medal and the ribbon, with the ribbon being yellow and green.

In the Indochina War, particularly following the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, French combat personnel suffered severe casualties, with over ten thousand individuals taken as prisoners of war. Consequently, French legislators began proposing the establishment of a medal from around AD 1950 onwards, as a tribute to all individuals who served in this arduous conflict. Ultimately, in AD 1953, an ordinance was issued to establish the Indochina Campaign Commemorative Medal.

The Indochina War (AD 1945-AD 1954) was a complex and protracted conflict involving France and its colonial rule over the Indochinese Peninsula (including present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) and the resistance against French rule led by Vietnamese independence movement leader Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh.

After World War II, the Vietnamese independence movement erupted, with the Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh proclaiming the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to resist French colonial rule. During the Cold War, China and the Soviet Union supported Vietnam’s communist forces, while the United States supported France. The scale of the war continued to escalate, with the Viet Minh’s armed forces strengthening and engaging in fierce battles with the French military. In AD 1954, a decisive battle occurred on the Dien Bien Phu Plain, resulting in the defeat of the French forces by the Viet Minh and ultimately leading to the signing of the Geneva Accords. This period of history also marked the end of French colonial rule in Indochina and the beginning of the Vietnam War.

Geneva Accords: According to the agreement, Vietnam was divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam, temporarily separated, with North Vietnam under communist control and South Vietnam becoming a US-supported anti-communist regime. However, this division led to the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, ultimately resulting in the collapse of the South Vietnamese government and the reunification of Vietnam.

This miniature version was crafted by private artisans. Since early times, many recipients would commission local jewellers to create scaled-down or miniature versions of the insignias for easier portability or as substitutes when official replacements were needed. The image below illustrates a price list from the early times, showing various sizes and materials offered by private craftsmen.

物件編號: M127

年代: 公元 1970-1980 年

材料: 青銅鍍金

尺寸: 35.4 x 98.7 x 1.8 / 11.4 x 62.6 x 1.1 mm

重量: 28.0 / 2.2 g

來源: 法國私人收藏 2022

這兩枚獎章為法國授予的印度支那戰役征戰獎章的官方版和迷你版，該獎章於公元1953年8月1日設立，頒發給參加印度支那戰爭的法國遠東遠徵軍成員。(在印度支那戰區服役3個月或以上的法國和法國殖民地軍隊) 

獎章的外觀為圓形青銅鍍金獎牌，獎章正面有一個匾額，寫有法文「印度支那Indochine」，匾額下方為一條七頭眼鏡蛇，上方則為一隻三頭象。沿著獎章邊緣刻有「 REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE 」的字樣，意為法蘭西共和國。背面則有橡樹和月桂葉環繞的裝飾，周圍刻有法文「Corps Expéditionnaire Français d’Extrême-Orient 」，為法國遠東遠征軍的意思。圓形獎章與綬帶連接處還有一條龍的圖樣，綬帶的顏色為黃綠相間。 

在印度支那戰役，特別是在奠邊府戰役後，法國戰鬥人員遭受了嚴重的傷亡，並有超過萬人被俘虜。因此，自公元1950年起，法國議員們開始提議設立一枚獎章，以向參與這場艱辛的戰鬥的各人員致敬。最終，於公元1953年頒布法令，設立了印度支那戰役征戰獎章。

印度支那戰爭(公元1945年至公元1954年)是一場複雜而長期的衝突，牽涉到法國及其殖民統治下的印度支那半島(包括今天的越南、寮國和柬埔寨)與反抗法國統治的越南獨立運動領導者胡志明領導的越南獨立同盟會(越盟)之間的對抗。 

在二戰結束後，越南獨立運動爆發，由胡志明領導的越南獨立同盟會宣布成立越南民主共和國，反抗法國的殖民統治。冷戰期間，中國和蘇聯支持越南的共產主義力量，而美國則支持法國。戰爭規模不斷擴大，越共武裝力量增強，與法國軍隊展開激烈對抗。公元1954年，奠邊府的迪恩平原發生了決定性的戰役，法軍被越共擊敗，最終導致了日內瓦協議的簽署。這一段歷史也標誌著法國在印度支那的殖民統治的終結，以及越南戰爭的開始。

日內瓦協議: 根據協議，越南被劃分為北越和南越，暫時分開，北越由共產主義勢力控制，南越則成為美國支持的反共政權。然而，這一分裂導致了公元1960年代和公元1970年代的越南戰爭，最終導致南越政府的崩潰和越南的統一。

這個迷你版的獎章為民間工匠自製的非官方獎章。在當時，許多獲獎者會委託民間的珠寶匠製作縮小或迷你版的獎章以便攜帶，或是作為官方版獎章修補時的替代品。下圖為早期荷蘭民間工匠根據不同尺寸、材質的報價表。