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The Colonial Medal
(Full Size, With Tonkin Clasp)
法國殖民地獎章
(官方版, 附東京銘牌)
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.
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。