Item number: M281

Year: AD 1861

Material: Silver

Size: 27.2 x 16.9 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 3.3 g

Provenance: Private Collector, USA, 2023

This is a miniature China Expedition Commemorative Medal (Médaille commémorative de l’expédition de Chine). The official full size medal of this miniature was issued by the French government on January 23, AD 1861, to reward the officers and soldiers who participated in the Second Opium War between AD 1857 and AD 1860.

The official version of this medal is made of silver, with an approximate mintage of around 8,000 pieces. The medal has a circular shape, surrounded by a laurel wreath symbolising victory. At the centre of the obverse is a left-facing profile portrait of Napoleon III, the reigning emperor at the time, adorned with a laurel crown. Flanking the portrait is the inscription “NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR” engraved in French.

The China Expedition Commemorative Medal is categorised into six variants based on the inscriptions beneath the portrait: “blank,” “BARRE,” “E.F.,” “S.F.,” “SACRISTIAN F.,” and “FALOT.”

The reverse of the medal features an outer circle inscribed with “★EXPEDITION DE CHINE★” and “1860.” The inner circle sequentially lists the locations of four battles from top to bottom: “TA.KOU” (Dagu Fort), “CHANG.KIA.WAN” (Zhangjiawan), “PA.LI-KIAO” (Baliqiao), and “PE-KING” (Beijing).

The official version of the medal features a yellow ribbon connected by a circular ring, with the characters “北京” (Beijing) embroidered in blue on both sides of the ribbon. However, this miniature lacks the ribbon entirely.

In AD 1856, the execution of French priest Monseigneur de la Morandière in Guangxi, who had entered the region for missionary work without authorisation, sparked outrage in France. Coincidentally, at the same time, diplomatic tensions arose between the Qing Dynasty and Britain due to the “Arrow Incident.” As a result, Napoleon III decided to participate in the Second Opium War, invited by the British.

In AD 1858, the Anglo-French coalition forced the Qing government to sign the Treaty of Tianjin, expanding access to additional treaty ports for foreign trade. However, in June AD 1859, tensions escalated when Qing officials detained and mistreated British and French envoys en route to Beijing for the treaty ratification. This provoked a renewed military campaign, culminating in the Anglo-French forces advancing on Beijing and destroying the imperial gardens of the Yuanmingyuan, a symbol of Sino-European cultural fusion.

The war officially ended in AD 1860 with the signing of the Convention of Beijing, which confirmed the terms of the earlier treaty. Additionally, Russia exploited the situation by mediating the peace process and, in return, compelled the Qing Empire to cede territories east of the Ussuri River.

物件編號: M281

年代: 公元 1861 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 27.2 x 16.9 x 1.4 mm

重量: 3.3 g

來源: 美國私人收藏 2023

這是一枚迷你版「中國遠征紀念獎章」(Médaille commémorative de l’expédition de Chine)。其官方版則是公元1861年1月23日，法國政府為獎勵公元1857至1860年，參與第二次鴉片戰爭的官兵所發行的。

官方版獎章為銀質，發行數量落在八千枚左右。獎章形制為圓形，外圍為象徵勝利的月桂花環環繞。正面中央是時任皇帝的拿破崙三世頭戴桂冠的左臉肖像，人像左右兩旁以法文鐫刻「NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR」(拿破崙三世皇帝)。

「中國遠征紀念獎章」按照正面人像下方的銘文差異，分別有「空白、BARRE、E.F.、S.F.、SACRISTIAN F. 和FALOT」六種版本。

獎章背面的外圈有「★EXPEDITION DE  CHINE★」(中國遠征)和「1860」字樣，內圈由上而下，依序有：「TA.KOU」(大沽口)、「CHANG.KIA.WAN」(張家灣)、「PA.LI-KIAO」(八里橋) 和「PE-KING」(北京) 四個戰役的地點。

官方版的獎章以圓環銜接黃色綬帶，綬帶兩面皆刺繡藍色字樣的漢字「北京」兩字。這枚迷你版則沒有綬帶。

公元1856年，法國神父馬賴私自進入廣西傳教遭到清廷處決引發法國譁然，恰巧同一時間英國因為「亞羅號事件」和清廷產生外交摩擦，故拿破崙三世在英國邀請下決定一同參與第二次鴉片戰爭。公元1858年，英法聯軍成功迫使清廷簽訂《天津條約》開放更多的通商港口。然而隔年的6月，英法雙方因前往北京換約的大使和隨從遭到清廷軟禁和凌虐，再度向北京進軍還燒毀中西合璧的皇家林園圓明園。直到公元1860年，英法兩國和清廷簽訂《北京條約》方才宣告戰爭結束。而俄國也趁勢以協助和談邀功，迫使清帝國割讓烏蘇里江以東的領土。