Item number: M380

Year: AD 1886

Material: Bronze

Size: 79.6 x 61.2 x 4.6 mm

Weight: 103.0 g

Provenance:

This is a bronze commemorative medal awarded by the French government in AD 1886 to French military personnel who participated in the Tonkin Expedition.

The obverse of the circular medal features a beaded border. Inside the border is the inscription “REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE,” meaning “French Republic.” At the centre is a left-facing depiction of the goddess, wearing a Phrygian cap and a crown made of oak leaves, wheat ears, and laurel, symbolising freedom and liberation. The Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom and emancipation since the American Revolution and the French Revolution, is worn by the goddess. The oak leaves represent heroism, the laurel symbolises glory and victory, and the wheat ears symbolise abundance and generosity. Below the image is the signature “F. VERNON,” the engraver’s mark of Frédéric-Charles-Victor de Vernon.

The reverse of the medal features the inscription “A L’ARMÉE DU TONKIN VINCENNES” encircling the outer edge. On either side, near the bottom, there are decorative floral motifs. At the centre is a wreath made of oak and laurel leaves, within which is the date “4 JUILLET 1886,” or “July 4, AD 1886.” “VINCENNES,” now known as the city of Vincennes in eastern France, is likely the place where the medal was issued.

Although government records related to the distribution of the medal have yet to be discovered, the French publication La Tribune du Midi described the following scene:

“Those fortunate enough to attend the event on July 4, AD 1886, at Vincennes to welcome back the soldiers of the 12th and 13th Artillery Regiments will long remember the day. … At the train station, the sound of drums echoed as comrades stood in formation, saluting. The soldiers returning from Tonkin, wearing the commemorative medals awarded in Melun, lined up along the platform. Friends and family recognised their loved ones, embracing them warmly and affectionately.” —Prosper Intérim. (July 4, AD 1886). Causerie Parisienne.

Unlike the Tokin Expedition Commemorative Medal issued by the French Chamber of Deputies between AD 1883 and AD 1885 in accordance with the law, this Tokin Army Medal is slightly larger in size, with a diameter approximately twice as large. Additionally, its material was changed from silver to bronze. It is speculated that this medal was issued by the local government of Vincennes to demobilised soldiers.

In the latter half of the 19th century, the French Third Republic sought opportunities to expand its influence in Indochina, particularly by occupying the Tonkin region (northern Vietnam). The French hoped to use the Red River as a route to venture upstream into Yunnan, China, to access valuable resources. In AD 1882, French officer Henri Rivière led a small force into Hanoi to investigate conflicts between French merchants and local Vietnamese residents, using this as a pretext to seize the city. The Vietnamese government called for aid from Liu Yongfu and the Qing Dynasty, while the French Chamber of Deputies approved a mandate to reinforce Vietnam. Following a series of military engagements, the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam signed the Treaty of Huế, ceding Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and its own territory of Annam (central Vietnam) to become a French protectorate. The Qing Dynasty refused to recognise the treaty and sent forces into Vietnam, leading to the outbreak of the Sino-French War. The conflict ended in AD 1885 following the French army’s retreat from Lang Son, where the Qing forces achieved a minor victory. However, due to the threat of the French Navy, the Qing Dynasty ultimately signed the Convention of Tientsin, renouncing its suzerainty over Vietnam. From then on, France controlled much of the eastern region of the Indochinese Peninsula.

物件編號: M380

年代: 公元 1886 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 79.6 x 61.2 x 4.6 mm

重量: 103.0 g

來源: CGB巴黎貨幣收藏 2024

這是一枚法國政府於公元1886年，頒予參加東京遠征的法軍官兵之紀念青銅獎章。

圓形獎章正面有一道珠圈。珠圈內側為「REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE 」之字樣，意即「法蘭西共和國」。中央為面朝左側的女神像，戴有弗里吉亞帽和使用橡葉、麥穗與月桂纏繞而成的桂冠。自美國獨立與法國大革命後，弗里吉亞帽便是自由與解放的象徵。橡葉象徵著英雄主義，月桂象徵著榮耀與勝利，麥穗則象徵著豐饒與慷慨。下方「F. VERNON」是雕刻師弗雷德里克·查爾斯·維克多·德·弗農的簽名。

獎章背面於外圈環繞著「A L’ARMÉE DU TONKIN VINCENNES」字樣，左右兩側偏下方的位置各有一枚花飾。中間是以橡樹和月桂葉編織而成的花環，裡面書寫書寫日期「4 JUILLET 1886」即「公元1886年7月4日」。「Vincennes」為今法國東部之城市文森，可能為該獎章發行地。

雖然還未找到政府發放勳章的相關檔案，但法國的《南方論壇報》(La Tribune du Midi)，敘述了如下場景：

那些有幸參加公元1886年7月4日，在文森迎接第12和第13炮兵團士兵歸來的活動的人，將久久難忘這一天。……在車站，鼓聲雷動，同袍們列隊敬禮，佩戴著在默倫(Mulen)授予的紀念勳章的東京歸來士兵們沿著站台列隊。朋友和家人認出他們的親人，熱情擁抱，充滿愛意。—Prosper Intérim. (4 Jult 1886). Causerie Parisienne.

與公元1883至1885年眾議院依法頒發之東京遠征紀念獎章不同，本東京陸軍獎章尺寸稍大，直徑約為兩倍，材質也由銀改為青銅。推測可能為文森地方政府頒予復員官兵。

公元19世紀後半葉，法蘭西第三共和正在尋找機會攻佔越南領地：東京(北圻)，以擴增其於印度支那的影響力，並且冀圖以紅河作為航線，溯源而上進入中國雲南以獲取豐富資源。公元1882年，法國軍官李維業帶領小股部隊進入河內，以調查法商與越南本地居民之間的衝突，最終以此為由攻佔河內。越南政府向劉永福以及清廷求援，與此同時，法國眾議院也通過增援越南的命令。一系列的戰事過後，越南阮朝簽訂《順化條約》割讓東京(北圻)，與自身領有的安南(中圻)作為法國的保護國。清廷拒不承認條約，出兵越南，中法爆發戰爭。軍事衝突在公元1885年法軍的朗山大撤退後終止，雖然清軍小勝，但由於法國海軍的威脅，最終清廷與法國簽訂了《中法新約》，放棄對越南之宗主權。此後，法國已控制中南半島東部大部分區域。