Item number: M375

Year: AD 1953-1975

Material: Bronze-Gilt

Size: 52.0 x 17.2 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 1.75 g

Provenance: La Galerie Numismatique 2024

This is an “Armed Forces Honour Medal” established in AD 1953 by the Republic of Vietnam, commonly known as South Vietnam, to recognise military personnel. The medal is divided into two classes: gold and silver. The gold medal was awarded to officers, while the silver medal was given to non-combat units and enlisted soldiers. The miniature version in the museum’s collection is a first-class medal made of bronze-gilt. In addition to being awarded to domestic military personnel, a significant number were also presented to foreign allied forces who assisted the South Vietnamese government during the Vietnam War.

The overall design of the medal features a cross of oak leaves with a pair of crossed long swords. At the centre of the obverse is a circular disc bearing a coiled dragon, surrounded by a ring. The upper part of the ring is inscribed in Vietnamese with “DANH-DU BOI-TINH,” meaning “Armed Forces Honour Medal,” while the lower part bears the country name, “VIETNAM.” The reverse side of the medal has no design.

The top of the medal features a circular loop connecting to a laurel-shaped suspension. The attached ribbon is designed based on the flag of South Vietnam, with a yellow background and two wide red stripes on each side. The three blue stripes in the centre trace their origin to the flag of the “Autonomous Republic of Cochinchina” (AD 1946–1949) during the French protectorate era.

After the end of World War II, Vietnam was quickly drawn into the First Indochina War (AD 1946–1954), resisting the return of French colonial rule. This was followed by the Cold War-era proxy conflict, the Second Indochina War (AD 1959–1975), commonly known as the Vietnam War. In this conflict, the Western Free World bloc, led by the United States, supported the South Vietnamese government based in Saigon, deploying significant military resources to help South Vietnam resist the infiltration of communist forces from North Vietnam and the Viet Cong.

However, the protracted war sparked a strong anti-war movement within the United States, leading to President Nixon’s administration beginning the process of disengagement from Vietnam. After the gradual withdrawal of American troops, South Vietnam, plagued by internal political strife and low morale, fell to North Vietnamese forces in AD 1975, resulting in the unification of North and South Vietnam.

Following reunification, many Vietnamese who refused to accept communist rule became refugees, fleeing to places such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and Europe. The former South Vietnamese capital, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City to honour Ho Chi Minh, the founding leader of North Vietnam.

物件編號: M375

年代: 公元 1953-1975 年

材質: 青銅鍍金

尺寸: 52.0 x 17.2 x 0.7 mm

重量: 1.75 g

來源: 貨幣畫廊 2024

這是一枚自公元1953年設立，越南共和國也就是通稱的南越針對武裝人員頒發的「武裝部隊榮譽獎章」，該獎章分為金和銀質兩種等級，前者授予軍官，後者則贈與非戰鬥單位和士兵。本館收藏的迷你版為銅鍍金材質的一等獎章，該獎章頒與本國籍官兵之外，亦有大量贈與越戰期間協助南越政府的外籍盟軍。

獎章的整體造型設計為十字橡樹葉，以及交叉的一對長劍。正面中央的圓盤有一隻捲曲的飛龍，外圍的圓環上方以越南文寫上「DANH-DU BOI-TINH」即「武裝部隊榮譽獎章」，下方則是國名「VIETNAM」(越南)。獎章背面則沒有任何的設計。

獎章頂端以圓環銜接月桂造型的懸掛，懸掛銜接的綬帶以南越國旗為造型設計，綬帶為黃底配色，並且在左右兩側各有一條較寬的紅色。正中央的三條藍色則承襲自法國保護國「南圻自治共和國」(公元1946至1949年) 時期的國旗配色。

自第二次世界大戰結束之後，越南迅速捲入抵抗法國殖民者歸來的「第一次印度支那戰爭」(公元1946至1954年)，還有後續以北緯17度線為分界的冷戰代理人戰爭「第二次印度支那戰爭」(公元1959至1975年)。第二次印度支那戰爭也就是俗稱的越戰，美國為首的西方自由陣營支持以南方西貢為首都的南越政權，投入大量兵力協助南越抵抗共產陣營北越和越共的滲透。然而曠日廢時的戰爭引發美國國內強烈的反戰浪潮，使得美國總統尼克森任內開始抽身越南。南越最大的外援美軍逐步撤出後，陷入內部政治紛擾和士氣低落的南越於公元1975年遭到北越攻克，完成南北越南的統一。越南統一之後，許多不願接受共產統治的越南人成為船民逃至香港、台灣、美加和歐洲等地，南越的首都西貢則被改名為胡志明市，以紀念北越的第一代領導人胡志明。