Item number: M193

Year: AD 1901

Material: Bronze

Size: 91.3 x 32.2 x 2.0 mm

Weight: 15.3 g

Provenance: Liverpool Medals 2022

This is a medal, dated June 23, AD 1901, issued by the Italian government under Royal Decree No. 338, titled “Commemorative Medal for The Far East Campaign, China 1900-1901.” It was intended to honour Italian officers and soldiers who participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance campaign. The total issuance was 2325 medals. The ribbon of the medal features a yellow base adorned with four dark blue stripes. On March 15, AD 1908, to distinguish it from the “China Campaign Commemorative Medal” with a similar appearance issued in AD 1903, the government added a silver clasp engraved with “CINA 1900-1901”. This clasp was provided to the initial recipients to be attached to the ribbon for identification.

The medal is circular in shape, and was designed by the engraver Luigi George. Featuring the left-facing portrait of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy on the obverse side, and surrounding the portrait is the Italian inscription “VITTORIO EMANUELE III RE D’ITALIA,” which translates to “Vittorio Emanuele III King of Italy,” presenting the monarch’s full name and title. In the lower right corner of the king’s neck, there is an engraving of the manufacturer’s hallmark “S.J.”

Established in AD 1836 by Steffano Johnson in Milan, the company expanded its operations to the capital city, Rome, shortly thereafter. To this day, it remains the primary producer of Italian government medals. Alongside the version bearing the “S.J.” hallmark, there is another variation with the inscription “REGIA ZECCA” below the portrait, denoting the Royal Mint. In comparison to the Royal Mint version, the “S.J.” version typically exhibits sparser and less defined hair strands in the depiction of the king.

On the reverse side, the design features laurel wreaths encircling both sides, with the central inscription “CINA” and “1900-1901,” denoting “China” and the years, respectively, in two lines of text. The same-looking medal issued in AD 1903 retained only the inscription “China” while omitting the year.

In January AD 1900, as the anti-foreign Boxer Movement in North China intensified and spread, diplomats from various countries, including Italy, expressed concerns to the Qing Empire. However, there were no signs of the situation easing. By June, the Boxers formally launched attacks on foreign compounds in Beijing. Twenty-eight Italian sailors and one officer were trapped in the embassy district, where they provided defence with a powerful one-pound cannon. Additionally, at the Beitang Cathedral in Beijing’s Xicheng District, thirty-eight Italian sailors protected priests and Chinese parishioners.

On June 10th, as part of the first wave of reinforcements departing from Tianjin led by British General Seymour, Italy contributed 42 sailors from the torpedo boat Calabria. However, by June 26th, the beleaguered Seymour Expedition could only retreat to Tianjin, with Italy suffering five fatalities in this operation. On June 19th, during the struggle for control of Tianjin, Lieutenant Ermanno Carlotto sacrificed himself while commanding 20 Italian sailors, intensifying domestic demands for the government to organise an expeditionary force. On July 5th, the government ordered the formation of an expeditionary force comprising 83 officers and 1882 soldiers, which didn’t arrive in China until August 29th. However, as early as August 14th, the second rescue mission led by British General Gaselee, including 53 Italian sailors, had successfully liberated foreigners trapped in Beijing.

After the pacification of the situation, the Italian expeditionary force remained stationed in China until the beginning of the withdrawal in August AD 1901, with the complete repatriation not occurring until four years later. Italy obtained a concession in Tianjin through the Boxer Protocol, becoming its sole foothold in Asia. The Italian concession in Tianjin endured until AD 1943 when, following Italy’s coordination of a ceasefire with the Allied powers, the Japanese military, which was originally part of the Axis powers, occupied the concession. Subsequently, it was transferred to the pro-Japanese regime led by Wang Jingwei, effectively ending Italy’s colonial activities in China.

物件編號: M193

年代: 公元 1901 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 91.3 x 32.2 x 2.0 mm

重量: 15.3 g

來源: 利物浦獎章 2022

這是一枚公元1901年6月23日，義大利政府按照〈第338號皇家命令〉頒布的「中國遠東戰役紀念獎章 1900-1901」，旨在獎勵參與八國聯軍戰役的義大利官兵，發行量2325枚。獎章的綬帶配色為黃底，並以四道深藍色條作為裝飾。公元1908年3月15日，為區別公元1903年相同外觀的「中國戰役紀念獎章」，政府追加一道刻有「CINA 1900-1901」銀質銘牌，提供第一批受獎者別在綬帶上作為辨識。

獎章外觀為圓形，由雕刻師路易吉·喬治操刀設計。正面是時任義大利國王的伊曼紐三世左側肖像，周圍的義大利銘文「VITTORIO EMANUELE III RE D’ITALY」是國王的全名及義大利國王的頭銜。國王脖子的右下角，刻有徽章生產商「S.J」商標。公元1836年，由史蒂法諾·詹森於米蘭創設公司，不久將業務拓展至首都羅馬，迄今仍包辦義大利政府的獎章製造。此款獎章有落款S.J版本外，亦有另一種在正面下方刻有「REGIA ZECCA」，即皇家鑄幣廠版本。S.J版本相較於皇家鑄幣廠的版本，國王的髮絲較為稀疏和模糊。

背面則是兩側被月桂花環包圍，於中央刻上「CINA」和「1900-1901」，即「中國」和年份的兩行文字。公元1903年頒發的相同外觀獎章，僅保留「中國」字樣而省略年份。

公元1900年1月，隨著華北的義和團排外運動日益惡化和蔓延，義大利在內的各國大使向清帝國表達擔憂，然而事態卻沒有降溫的意象。隨著時序進入6月，拳民正式向北京的外國人據點發動攻擊，義大利有28名水手和1位軍官受困於使館區，並提供一門火力最為強大的一磅快炮支援防守。另外位處北京西城區的西什庫天主堂(北堂)，則有38名義大利水手保護神父和中國籍教民。

6月10日，英軍將領西摩爾領軍從天津出發的第一批援兵中，義大利從卡拉布里亞號魚雷艇上湊出42名水兵參與。然而6月26日，面臨損失的西摩爾遠征隊僅能退回天津，義大利於此趟行動中付出5人陣亡的代價。6月19日，在天津控制權的爭奪戰中，卡洛托少尉在指揮20名義大利水手戰鬥時犧牲，此事激化國內輿論要求政府組織遠征軍。7月5日，政府下令組織83名軍官和1882位士兵的遠征軍，直到8月29日方才抵達中國。但早在8月14日，由英軍將領蓋斯利領導，包含53名義大利水手的第二批救援隊已經成功解救受困於北京的外國人。

義大利遠征軍在事態平息後，在中國維持駐軍直到公元1901年8月開始撤軍，直到四年後方才全部歸國。而義大利藉由《辛丑條約》在天津獲得租界，成為其在亞洲的唯一據點。天津義租界維繫至公元1943年，當義大利跟同盟國協調停戰後，原本同為軸心國的日軍佔領該租界，後續將其轉讓予日本扶植的汪精衛政權，終結義大利在中國的殖民活動。