Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Silver-Gilt Bao Dai Merit Medal Third class
(Full Size)
銀鍍金質三等保大榮譽獎章
(官方版)
Item number: M233
Year: AD 1925-1955
The results after XRF testing
Element
Percentage %
Ag
93.29 %
Cu
2.98 %
Au
2.49 %
Zn
1.14 %
Material: Silver-Gilt
Size: 87.6 x 35.2 x 1.0 mm
Weight: 13.90 g
Provenance: Tan Ji 2019
This Third Class “Bao Dai Merit Medal” was created during the reign of Emperor Bao Dai of the Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnam. The medal is primarily made of silver and gilded with a small amount of gold.
The obverse side of the medal features a central sun surrounded by decorative flames. Encircling the sun are six roundels, each containing Chinese characters that read from top to bottom as “大南皇帝寶鑑” (Precious Mirror of the Emperor of Dai Nam). The reverse of the medal bears the inscription “三項” (Third Class) at its centre, indicating its third-class status. Surrounding the inscription is a five-clawed dragon amidst auspicious cloud patterns.
At the top of the medal, a spherical element is marked with a cloud-like hallmark. This sphere is pierced by a ring, which connects to a ribbon. The ribbon is green on the sides and red in the middle, with white stripes separating the green and red sections.
However, according to currently available information, the ribbon of the “Bao Dai Merit Medal” does not exhibit the green, red, and white colours but rather a red and yellow striped pattern. The green, red, and white ribbon more closely resembles that of the “Tibet Medal” issued by the United Kingdom in AD 1905. It is possible that the ribbon of this “Bao Dai Merit Medal” has been replaced by a previous collector, resulting in its current appearance.
In Vietnam, medals are locally referred as “Tien,” the court would cast gold and silver into “Tiens” as honorary rewards or appeasements for civil and military officials.
In addition to this, on special occasions such as the New Year, the Elder Worshipping Festival, or the emperor’s 50th, 60th, and 70th birthdays, “Tien” would also be awarded as commemorative and reward tokens. Recipients could wear them by threading a rope through the central hole of the “Tien,” often adorned with tassells at the bottom.
The grade of “Tien” could be roughly determined by the metal used. The highest grade, “Kim Tien” (Gold Tien), had four levels, initially made of real gold during the early Nguyen Dynasty but later transitioned to gold plating or basic metals. The next grade, “Ngan Tien” (Silver Tien), had three levels and was distinguished by terms like “Third Class,” sometimes only bearing the era name without additional markings.