FI01 Military and Native Guard Merit Medal
FI03 Early Honor Medals before 1900
FI03 Honor Medal of the Government General
FI08 Penitentiary Service Medal
FI11 Indochina Posts and Telegraph Medal
FI12 Indochina Posts, Telegraph, & Telephone Medal
FI13 Indochina Radio Service Medal
FI15 Overseas France Railways Medal for Indochina
| FI03 | HONOR MEDAL FOR ACTS OF COURAGE AND DEVOTION (early types used in Indochina before 1900) | |||
| Médaille d'Honneur pour Actes de Courage et de Dévouement (types utilisés dans Indochine avant 1900) four classes - French awards covered by French ministry regulations; Indochinese local awards covered by the general duty regulations of the Governer General of Indochina - April 28, 1869, April 21, 1891 (note - regulations verification in progress) |
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| For: | acts of courage and devotion for Europeans and natives; later a version locally dedicated for natives | |||
| Design: | round breast badge, with suspension ribbon | |||
| Obverse: | variation as below; | |||
| Reverse: | variation as below; | |||
| Suspension: | ball | |||
| Ribbon: | blue 10mm, white 10mm, red 10mm; smaller ribbons also known | |||
| 3/Ax/1 | First Class Gold | in gold 36mm | ||
| 3/Ax/2 | Second Class Gold | in gold 27mm | ||
| 3/Ax/3 | First Class Silver | in silver 41mm | ||
| 3/Ax/4 | Second Class Silver | in silver 33mm | ||
The original French honor medal was institued by King Louis XIV in 1692. There have been numerous variations of this medal until the present. For an excellent history of this medal from its creation, and its many variations, see Les Médailles d'Actes de Courage et de Dévouement by Saint-Cyrien at http://www.forum-insignes-medailles.net/t41866-les-medailles-d-actes-de-courage-et-de-devouement (Note: Type numbers listed herein are from this reference.)
Initially the regular French honor medals, as used in France and elsewhere in the colonises, were also used in Indochina for both Europeans and natives. Later the Barre Cérès type of the Ministère des Colonies was used in Indochina only for natives. These various early version medals used in Indochina before 1900 include :
| 1863 - 1870 | 1870 - 1874 | 1874 - 1899 |
| 2nd Empire - Type 6 | 3rd Republic - Type 2 | 3rd Republic - Type 5 |
| Barre type, Napoleon III facing right | "REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" | Barre type, Cérès facing left |
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| Ministère de la Marine et des Colonies | Ministère de la Marine et des Colonies | Ministère de la Marine et des Colonies, to 1893 Ministère de la Marine Ministère des Colonies Sous-Secretariat d'Etat des Colonies 1881-94 Protectorat de l’Annam et du Tonkin |
Attributions were struck in relief on the reverse thanks to an original system developed by the engraver Pingret. The later pieces of the Barre Cérès Ministère des Colonies type named to Indochinese locals are engraved on the reverse in cursive script.
| 3/A1 | Type of 1863 - 1870 (2nd Empire - Type 6) | |||
| Design: | Obverse: | wearing a laurel, the effigy of Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, facing right, with the inscription around "NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR", signed by the engraver "BARRE"; | ||
| Reverse: | in the center an oval cartouche for attributing the name of the recipient, the event, and date, with two allegorical figures, on the left a woman, and on the right a man, standing on pedestals, with designs of leaves above and below, and at the top the inscription of the awarding ministry "MINISTERE DE LA MARINE ET DES COLONIES" | |||
FI03/A1 Type of 1863 - 1870 (2nd Empire - Type 6), silver 2nd Class, 33 mm, (replaced suspension ring)
named “A / THANH
/ -- / COURAGE / ET DEVOUEMENT / TRAVINH / COCHINCHINE / 1867”
(private collection)
(For additional details on the above example, see http://www.forum-insignes-medailles.net/t46863-medaille-merci-2-cochinchine-1867-1872)
| 3/A2 | Type of 1870 - 1874 (3rd Republic - Type 2) | |||
| Design: | Obverse: | "REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" in two lines, within a circular wreath of two oak branches merged together at the bottom and meeting to a flower at the top; | ||
| Reverse: | in the center an oval cartouche for attributing the name of the recipient, the event, and date, with two allegorical figures, on the left a woman, and on the right a man, standing on pedestals, with designs of leaves above and below, and at the top the inscription of the awarding ministry "MINISTERE DE LA MARINE ET DES COLONIES" | |||
FI03/A2 Type of 1870 - 1874 (3rd Republic - Type 2), silver 1st Class, 43 mm,
named “A / NGUYEN-VAN-THANH CAI
/ A VINH-LONG COCHINCHINE / COURAGE ET DEVOUEMENT / 1872”
(ex-Sylvester collection)
(For additional details on the above example, see http://www.forum-insignes-medailles.net/t46863-medaille-merci-2-cochinchine-1867-1872)
| 3/A3 | Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) | |||
| Design: | Obverse: | wearing a wreath of palm leaves, grain, flowers, and oak leaves, the head of a woman symbolic of the Republic facing left, with the inscription around "REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE"; | ||
| Reverse: | in the center an oval cartouche for attributing the name of the recipient, the event, and date, with two allegorical figures, on the left a woman, and on the right a man, standing on pedestals, with designs of leaves above and below, and at the top the inscription of the awarding ministry "MINISTERE DE LA MARINE ET DES COLONIES", "MINISTERE DE LA MARINE", "MINISTERE DES COLONIES", "SOUS-SECRETARIAT D'ETAT DES COLONIES", or "PROTECTORAT DE L'ANNAM ET DU TONKIN"; | |||
3/A3.1 - Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - MINISTERE DE LA MARINE ET DES COLONIES
believed to have been usually given for lifesaving and bravery in maritime waters and in the colonies.
FI03/A3.1 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) Ministere de la Marine et des Colonies, silver 1st Class, 44mm,
named “A / LÈ VAN HÒ / CHEF DE CANTON A L'INSPECTION DE MYTHO / COCHINCHINE / 1875”
3/A3.2 - Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - MINISTERE DE LA MARINE
FI03/A3.2 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) Ministere de la Marine, silver 2nd Class, 33mm,
named “A / FÈLIX BARINQUE / SERGENT AUX TIRAILLEURS ANNAMITES / COURAGE ET DEVOUEMENT / 1882"
3/A3.3 - Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - MINISTERE DES COLONIES
with cursive engraving - believed always to have gone to natives, generally for participation in expeditions..
FI03/A3.3 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5)- Ministere des Colonies, silver 2nd class, 33mm,
named “Hò Van Nguyén”
(collection P. Dèmogé)
FI03/A3.3 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5)- Ministere des Colonies, silver 2nd class, 33mm,
named “Nguỹên Tot”
(collection P. Dèmogé)
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FI03/A3.3 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - Ministere des Colonies, silver 2nd class, 33mm,
named “Nguỹên Van Ming”
(unknown source)
FI03/A3.3 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - Ministere des Colonies, silver 2nd class, 33mm
named “Dinh Hieu”
(ex-Sylvester collection)
FI03/A3.3 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - Ministere des Colonies, silver 2nd class, 33mm
named “Nguyên Tri ”
(Claudius Cote collection - Auction 20 mai 1914 Lot n°285)
3/A3.4 - Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - SOUS-SECRETARIAT D'ETAT DES COLONIES
FI03/A3.4 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - Sous-Secretariat d'Etat des Colonies 1881-94, silver 2nd class, 33mm,
hallmarked "Cornucopia - ARGENT"
named "A / RAOUL / DANNEVILLE / -- / COMBAT / DE / DONG DANG / 24 SEPTEMBRE / 1893"
(from late collection Dr. Roediger'schen Sammlung Frankfürt am Main. Cited in 1903 in von Heyden's booklet n°437)
(On September 24, 1893, a big supply column was attacked and sacked, with "6 to 8" soldiers killed, close (1,500 m !) to the main military post of Dong-dang).
FI03/A3.4 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - Sous-Secretariat d'Etat des Colonies 1881-94, silver 2nd class, 33mm,
named "Nguyẽn Van Thu"
3/A3.5 - Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - PROTECTORAT DE L'ANNAM ET DU TONKIN
FI03/A3.5 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - Protectorat de l'Annam et du Tonkin, silver,
named "A / J.B. LE FRANC / Combat de Dong-Dong / 24 Septber 1893" (engraved, not officially impressed - possibly false)
(collection STIOT, published in Symboles & Traditions #78, 1976, p37)
FI03/A3.5 Type of 1874 - 1899 (3rd Republic - Type 5) - Protectorat de l'Annam et du Tonkin, Bronze 34mm
(a fifth class is not given in the regulations - perhaps this example was a test piece, or to be gilded ?)