Item number: M385

Year: AD 1898

Material: Silver

Size: Case 80.0 x 80.0 x 16.5 / Medal 69.0 x 69.0 mm

Weight: Case 25.1 / Medal 139.35 g

Provenance: MDC Monaco 2024

This is a silver commemorative medal awarded during the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the “Paul Doumer Bridge” in Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 12, AD 1898, when the city was a French colony. The bridge was named after the then Governor-General of Indochina, Paul Doumer. The medal is accompanied by a storage case of crimson-coloured velvet.

The circular medal is surrounded on both sides by a beaded circle. The obverse features the coat of arms of Hanoi during the French colonial era. At the centre of the shield is a pair of flying dragons, symmetrically posed with swords, emerging from the water. This emblem evokes the legendary tale of Hoan Kiem Lake, a famous landmark in Hanoi’s city centre. According to the story, the founder of the Later Le Dynasty, Le Loi, after receiving a magical sword from the lake’s divine turtle to fight the northern Ming Empire’s invasion, returned the sword to the lake after his victory. Above the shield, the sun and city walls, along with the laurel and oak branches on the left and right, incorporate European elements brought by the French colonisers. At the bottom, a scroll bears the Latin motto “DIS LECTA FORTITUDINE PROSPERA,” meaning “Wealth is chosen through prosperous strength.” The French inscription at the top, “VILLE DE HANOI,” refers to the city of Hanoi.

The reverse side of the medal features twenty-eight lines of dense French inscription, which, from top to bottom, provides a detailed account of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Red River Bridge on September 12, AD 1898. The text is signed by Paul Doumer, the then Governor-General of the colony, and military leaders. Following this, the names of several members serving in the “Indochina Superior Committee” are listed, including two prominent Vietnamese mandarins, Nguyen Trong Hop and Tran Bac Luc. The inscription concludes with the names of Mr. Guillemoto, the Chief Engineer of Public Works and Director of Public Works for Hanoi, and other settlers.

In AD 1897, Paul Doumer, the then Governor-General of the colony, initiated a design competition for a bridge to cross the Red River, with the winning design awarded to Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower. After the completion of Vietnam’s first iron bridge in AD 1902, it was initially named after Paul Doumer, while the Vietnamese people referred to it as the “Mother Bridge.” Following the withdrawal of French forces in AD 1954, the Vietnamese government renamed it “Long Bien Bridge.” During the Vietnam War, Long Bien Bridge, an important transportation hub, was severely bombed by American forces but was later restored and continues to serve as a significant witness to Vietnam’s modern history.

物件編號: M385

年代: 公元 1898 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 盒 80.0 x 80.0 x 16.5 / 獎章 69.0 x 69.0 mm

重量: 盒 25.1 / 獎章 139.35 g

來源: 摩納哥錢幣收藏 2024

這是一枚在公元1898年9月12日，作為法國殖民地的越南河內市，為慶祝以時任殖民地總督名字命名的「保羅·杜美橋」奠基石儀式上頒發的銀質紀念獎章，並且還附有一個桃紅色外觀的紅絲絨收納盒。

圓形獎章的兩面周圍皆以一道珠圈環繞。獎章正面是法國殖民時代的河內市徽，市徽正中央的盾牌有躍出水面，以寶劍為對稱的一對飛龍。這個圖騰呼應河內市中心的著名景點還劍湖的傳說故事，據說越南歷史上後黎朝的開國皇帝黎利為對抗北方明帝國的侵略，向湖中的神龜求來一柄寶劍並在事成後歸還的膾炙人口故事。盾牌上方的太陽和城牆以及左右兩側的月桂和橡樹枝條，則是融入法國殖民者帶來的歐洲特色。底部的捲軸以拉丁文標示格言「DIS LECTA FORTITUDINE PROSPERA」意指「財富是透過繁榮的力量所選擇的」，頂端的法文「VILLE DE HANOI」就是「河內市」的意思。

獎章背面有二十八行密集的法文銘文，從上而下，大致說明祝賀公元1898年9月12日紅河大橋的奠基開工，並且以時任殖民地總督保羅·杜美和軍事將領署名。後續還有表列一些在「印度支那高級委員會」服務的成員名字，其中有兩位知名的越南仕紳阮仲合和陳伯祿。最後則是以河內市公共工程總工程師兼公共工程總監吉列莫托先生和其他定居者的名義落款。

公元1897年，時任殖民地總督的保羅·杜美發起跨越紅河的橋樑設計比賽，由艾菲爾鐵塔的設計者亞歷山大·居斯塔夫·艾菲爾成功包辦。公元1902年這座越南歷史上第一座鐵橋竣工後，先是以保羅·杜美的名字命名，越南民間則稱呼為「母親橋」。公元1954年法國勢力退出後，越南政府將名字改為「龍編橋」。而在越戰期間，龍編橋作為重要的交通中樞，曾經遭到美軍嚴重的轟炸破壞，但是早已恢復通行成為越南近代歷史的重要見證者。