Item number: M302

Year: AD 1885

Material: Silver

Size: 57.0 x 14.7 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 2.6 g

Provenance: Katz Auction 2024

This object is a miniature version of the silver “Tonkin Expedition Commemorative Medal” (French: Médaille commémorative de l’expédition du Tonkin), awarded by the French government on September 6, AD 1885. This medal comes in two variants corresponding to the branch of military service: the Army and the Navy, with this particular object being the Army version.

The medal is circular in shape, crafted from silver. The perimeter of its obverse is adorned with a laurel wreath, at the centre of which is a profile portrait of Marianne, the national symbol of the French Republic. The helmet visor of the portrait is inscribed with the french word “PATRIE” (Homeland). The inscription on either side of the portrait reads “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” (French Republic). The shoulder of Marianne omits the engraver’s name, “Daniel Dupuis” (DANIEL DUPUIS), which is present in the official version.

The reverse of the medal is decorated with a laurel wreath and a solid circular band. Inside the circular band, from top to bottom, the naval battles are listed in sequence. The navy section features seven place names, while the army section lists six:

Gia Lâm (Vietnam) GAU-GIAÏ

Sơn Tây (Vietnam) SONTAY

Bắc Ninh (Vietnam) BAC-NINH

Fuzhou FOU-TCHÉOU

Taiwan FORMOSE

Tuyên Quang (Vietnam) TUYEN-QUAN

Penghu PESCADORES

Compared to the Navy version, the Army version omitted the geographical name “Gia Lâm (Vietnam)” (French: GAU-GIAÏ), due to the deaths of two French officers (Henri Rivière and Francis Garnier) at this location. Around the circumference of the ring, the words “Tonkin (Vietnam) China Annam 1883-1885” (French: TONKIN CHINE ANNAM) are inscribed in sequence. This miniature version omits the Paris Mint’s “Horn of Plenty” mark on the reverse.

The ribbon follows the original yellow and green stripe pattern. Interestingly, it features the word “Beijing” embroidered in blue, mimicking the style of the AD 1861 “China Expedition Medal” commemorating the Second Opium War. This suggests that the owner of this medal likely participated in both the Second Opium War and the Sino-French War.

The Tonkin Expedition Commemorative Medal was initially issued pursuant to a law dated September 6, AD 1885, minted at the Paris Mint, and awarded on July 14, AD 1886, to soldiers who participated in the Tonkin Expedition and the Sino-French War between AD 1883 and AD 1885, with a total of approximately 65,000 recipients.

In AD 1887, the law was amended to additionally award this medal to soldiers and sailors who had participated in operations in the North, Annam, Cambodia, Siam, and the upper Mekong River from AD 1885 to AD 1893, as well as to the rare survivors who served under Francis Garnier and Henri Rivière between AD 1873 and AD 1882, bringing the total number of recipients to 97,300.

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: M302

年代: 公元 1885 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 57.0 x 14.7 x 1.4 mm

重量: 2.6 g

來源: 捷克Katz 拍賣 2024

此物件為公元1885年9月6日，法國政府授予之銀質「東京遠征紀念獎章」(法文：Médaille commémorative de l’expédition du Tonkin)的迷你版。此獎章依照軍種的差異，有「陸軍」和「海軍」兩種版別，該物件為「陸軍」版本。

該物件的外型為圓形銀質獎章，獎章正面的周圍環繞月桂花環，中央是法蘭西共和國的國家象徵「瑪麗安娜」的側面肖像，肖像的頭盔面罩上刻有「祖國」(法文：PATRIE)字樣。兩側的法文字義是「法蘭西共和國」(RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE)。這枚瑪麗安娜的肩膀省略在官方版本中，雕刻師的名字「丹尼爾·杜普伊斯」(DANIEL DUPUIS)。

獎章的背面分別以月桂花環和實心圓環作為裝飾，實心圓環的內部由上而下，依序寫上海軍參與的戰役，海軍有7個地名，陸軍有6個地名：

紙橋(越南)GAU-GIAÏ

山西(越南)SONTAY

北寧(越南)BAC-NINH

福州FOU-TCHÉOU

台灣FORMOSE

宣光(越南)TUYEN-QUAN

澎湖PESCADORES

相較於海軍，陸軍省略了「紙橋(越南)」(法文：GAU-GIAÏ)地名，因為有兩名法國軍官(亨利·裡維埃和弗朗西斯·卡尼爾)在該地點喪生。圓環外部則依序刻上「東京(越南) 中國 安南 1883-1885」(法文：TONKIN CHINE ANNAM)字樣。這枚迷你版背面省略巴黎造幣廠「富饒角」戳記。

綬帶依照正版的黃綠條紋配色，然而更為有趣的是，綬帶上頭以藍色刺繡表現的「北京」字樣，實則是仿效公元1861年紀念第二次鴉片戰爭「中國遠征獎章」樣式。推測這枚獎章的主人應該先後參加過第二次鴉片戰爭和中法戰爭。

東京遠征紀念獎章原先根據公元1885 年9 月6 日的法律頒布，在巴黎造幣廠鑄造，並在公元1886 年7 月14 日頒發給公元1883年到公元1885年間參與東京遠征和中法戰爭的士兵，總頒發數大約65,000 名。 

公元1887年修訂了法律，將此獎章額外頒發給於公元1885年至公元1893年間曾參與北部、安南、柬埔寨、暹羅和湄公河上游行動的士兵和水手，以及公元1873年至公元1882年間在弗朗西斯·卡尼爾 (Francis Garnier) 和亨利·裡維埃 (Henri Rivière) 麾下服役的罕見倖存者，使總獲獎人數達到97300人。 

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。