Item number: M195

Year: AD 1908

Material: Bronze

Size: 75.6 x 33.2 x 1.6~1.9 mm

Weight: 16.25 g

Provenance:

In the winter of AD 1900, as stability was being restored in Beijing and northern China with the occupation by the Eight-Nation Alliance, including the United States, the American troops stationed in China, mainly consisting of the 9th and 14th Infantry Regiments, formed the “China Relief Expedition” military fraternal society to commemorate this action. In AD 1908, this society was formally registered in the United States. By AD 1930, the society opened its membership to all recipients of the government-issued “China Campaign Medal,” regardless of military affiliation. On February 13, AD 1932, President Herbert Hoover, then serving as President of the United States, also extended greetings to the association in his capacity as President.

In the same year of its formal registration, the society also established two commemorative medals: the “Military Order of the Dragon” and the “Imperial Order of the Dragon.” This item is the “Imperial Order of the Dragon,” which features a design resembling a Chinese square-holed coin, with a ring suspension and ribbon attachment. There are two versions of the medal based on the ribbon colour and the appearance of the pin. The early version features a solid yellow ribbon with a rectangular clasp bearing a dragon motif on the pin. The later version, to which this item belongs, has a ribbon with a yellow background and stripes in purple, light green, and dark green, with the pin directly designed as a five-clawed dragon.

The obverse of the order replicates the inner and outer edges of a square-holed coin, with numerous circular protrusions on the inner edge. The inner edge bears the pseudo-Chinese legends “C.R.E” and “1900” above and below, respectively. The former stands for “China Relief Expedition,” while the latter denotes the year of the operation. The outer edge features the legend “NOT TO CONQUER, BUT TO SAVE,” reflecting the perspective of the US military personnel regarding their mission in China during this campaign.

On the reverse side, at the bottom edge, there is an issuance number “473.” According to the records of the society, this medal belongs to Lewis Dunnigan, who participated in the battles of the Eight-Nation Alliance as a Quartermaster Sergeant. He received the medal from the association on September 26, AD 1908.

物件編號: M195

年代: 公元 1908 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 75.6 x 33.2 x 1.6~1.9 mm

重量: 16.25 g

來源: 利物浦獎章 2022

公元1900年冬，美國在內的八國聯軍已進駐北京和華北大抵恢復穩定之際，以第9和14步兵團為主的駐華美軍以此次行動命名，成立「中國救援遠征」軍事聯誼社團。公元1908年，該社團於美國正式註冊成立。公元1930年，社團不分軍籍，進一步對擁有政府頒發「中國戰役獎章」的全體受獎者開放。公元1932年2月13日，時任美國總統的赫伯特·胡佛還以總統名義向協會致信問候。

該社團正式註冊的同一年，還自行創建「軍事之龍勳章」、「帝國之龍勳章」兩款紀念獎章。此物件為「帝國之龍勳章」，外觀設計仿效中國的方孔錢，以環形懸掛和綬帶銜接。獎章按照綬帶配色和別針外觀，總共有兩種版別。初期型為純黃色綬帶，別針為帶有龍圖騰的矩形銘牌。該物件所屬的後期型，其綬帶改以黃底搭配紫、淺綠和墨綠色條，別針直接以五爪龍作為設計。

勳章正面仿效方孔錢的內廓和外廓，內廓表面有許多圓形突起。內廓的上下方以偽中文鐫刻「C.R.E」和「1900」，前者是「中國救援遠征」縮寫，後者是行動的年份。外廓以「非為征服，而為拯救」銘文，展示美軍官兵針對此次中國軍事任務的觀點。

背面的下緣是頒發編號「473」，按社團紀錄查到這枚勳章的主人是路易斯. 登尼肯，他以軍需官中士身分參加八國聯軍戰役。並且在公元1908年9月26日從協會獲得獎章。