Item number: M129

Year: AD 1895-1914

Material: Silver

Size: 29.3 x 100.5 x 1.0 mm

Weight: 27.25 g

Provenance: Noonans 2022

This medal is the Colonial Medal, initiated in AD 1893 by France, awarded to individuals serving in French colonies or protectorates and participating in colonial military actions. The depicted artefact has one clasp bearing the French word “Tonkin,” denoting the colonial territory.

The medal is a circular silver medal. On the obverse side, it features a profile portrait of Marianne, the national symbol of the French Republic, wearing a helmet and a laurel wreath. The inscription “République française” (French Republic) encircles the portrait on both sides. Below the medal, there is a small inscription bearing the name of the French sculptor Georges Lemaire, who designed the medal. On the reverse side, half of the Earth is depicted resting on an anchor, with the inscription “Medaille Coloniale” in French below, indicating the name of the medal as the Colonial Medal. The suspension of the medal and ribbon is designed with laurel branches. The ribbon itself alternates between blue and white, with one clasp bearing the inscription “Tonkin” attached to it.

On June 6, AD 1962, France issued a decree renaming the “Colonial Medal” to the “Overseas Medal,” a designation that remains effective as of today(AD 2024).

Tonkin:
Tonkin is a geographical name located in the northern part of the Red River Delta in Vietnam, historically part of the Later Lê Dynasty before being designated as the Tonkin Protectorate by France. During the Later Lê Dynasty, Tonkin was referred to as “Tang Ngoai,” denoting the northern region of the Red River Delta, known as Hanoi at the time. With the outbreak of the Zheng-Ruan conflict, Westerners began using the term “Tonkin” to refer to the territory under Zheng’s rule, contrasting it with “Cochinchina,” which referred to territories under Ruan’s rule in the south. Despite Vietnam’s unification in AD 1802, both terms continued to be used, signifying the northern and southern regions of Vietnam respectively.

However, with the outbreak of the Sino-French War, France established the Tonkin Protectorate in Tonkin in AD 1885, according to the Second Treaty of Hue, governing separately from the protectorate of Annam. During this period, Tonkin served as the administrative centre of French rule in northern Vietnam. Nevertheless, following the failure of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, France lost control of Tonkin. After the expulsion of French colonial forces by the Vietnamese people, the name Tonkin gradually faded into obscurity and ceased to be used.

物件編號: M129

年代: 公元 1895-1914 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 29.3 x 100.5 x 1.0 mm

重量: 27.25 g

來源: 諾南斯 2022

此枚為法國於公元1893年開始頒發的殖民地獎章，上方掛有殖民地「Tonkin」的銘牌。此獎章授予那些在法國殖民地或保護國服役、參與殖民地軍事行動的人員。 

獎章的外型為圓形銀質獎章，獎章的正面為法蘭西共和國的國家象徵「瑪麗安娜」的側面肖像，頭戴頭盔與月桂花環，左右兩側環繞有「République française (法蘭西共和國)」的字樣。獎章下方有小字刻有設計此獎章的法國雕塑家「 Georges Lemaire 」的名字。背面則為東半面的地球疊放在錨上，下方以法文刻有「Medaille Coloniale」的字樣，其意為此獎章的名稱殖民地獎章。獎章與綬帶的懸掛處以月桂枝葉作為設計，綬帶的顏色藍白相間，另外綬帶還掛有「Tonkin (東京)」字樣銘牌。 

公元1962年6月6日法國頒布法令，以「海外獎章」的名稱取代「殖民地獎章」，一直至公元2024年仍有效力。 

東京(法語: Tonkin)
東京為中南半島的一個地名，位於越南北部紅河三角洲，歷史上曾是後黎朝的一部分，後來被法國稱為東京保護領。在後黎朝時期，東京被稱為「唐外」，也就是紅河三角洲地區的北部，是當時河內的名字。隨著鄭阮紛爭的爆發，西方人開始將「東京」這個詞用於指代鄭主統治的地域，與阮主統治的地區「交趾支那」相對應。儘管在公元1802年越南統一後，這兩個詞仍然被使用，分別用於指代越南的北部和南部。

然而，隨著中法戰爭的爆發，法國於公元1885年根據《第二次順化條約》在東京設立了東京保護領，與安南保護國分開統治。這一時期，東京成為法國在越南北部的統治中心。然而，隨著奠邊府戰役的失敗，法國失去了對東京的控制。在法國殖民勢力被越南人民驅逐後，東京這個名字漸漸被遺忘，不再被使用。