Colonial Medal
The colonial medal is a French decoration created by the Finance law of the July 26th 1893 (article 75) to reward “the military services in the colony S, resulting from the participation in operations of war, in a colony or a country of protectorate”.
A Décret of the June 6th 1962 modified “colonial” name for name “overseas”. (See Medal of overseas)
The Medal
Instituted by the finance law of the July 23rd 1893, its decree on enforcement of a law on March 6th 1894 enumerates the Military operations carried out by France in its colony S or Protectorat S (Algérie - Cochinchine - Côte of Gold - Marquesas Islands - Nossi-Be - New Caledonia - Senegal and Sudan - Îles of the Company - Tunisia). The field of application of the decree thus had broad a retroactive effect, since the first operations taken into account for the attribution of the colonial Medal went back to 1827, that is to say with the whole beginning of the Conquête of Algeria. Since, very many other statutory texts came to modify or supplement the attribution of this medal. Among most recent, let us quote the decree of June 6th, 1962 which transformed the “colonial Medal” into “Médaille of overseas”.The colonial Medal is thus closely related to the existence of the colonial Empire French.
Article 4 of the decree of 1894 fixes the characteristics of the medal. The Jeton of 30mm of diameter is out of money. With the Avers of this one one finds the effigy helmeted of the Republic with forward “French Republic”. With the Reverse, a map of the world occupies the central field, posed on an alongside anchor of a Trophée of weapons. The Ruban, on which come to position the Agrafe S, is with white and blue vertical lines. Its length can vary this 35 to 37 Misters.
The drawing of the medal is allotted to the Commander Saulnier de Pinelais, because for its origin, this medal was intended to the sailors. Its manufacture had the characteristic to be realized by the administration of the Monnaie of Paris and by a private company which had the load of the manufacture of the Douille, of the Bélière to foliage and of fasten with indented grips of folding back. The units were to be delivered complete to the ministries for the Navy and the Guerre. The ribbon, the Skewer of assembly and the assembly also formed part of the supply.
The two ministries were then given the responsability to give free the medals to the recipients, with an unquestionable delay since they were not available immediately. Only the diplomas which always accompany attribution by the Medal were delivered within the deadlines. The monopoly of the Currency of Paris and the heaviness of its administration thus made the beautiful days of the private market, obliging the administration to authorize “parallel” manufacture insofar as these last complied with the imposed rules. Despite everything, certain models known as “marginal” made their appearance.
- It is into 1913 that the Currency of Paris decided to completely take responsibility for its manufacture of the colonial Medal. This second official type sees its token redrawn and engraved per G. Lindauer. The signature of Georges Lemaire appears in hollow whereas on the first official type, this one was in relief. The suspension brace with foliage becomes unifacial and the casing is made of two truncated cones. For very a short period the grips with folding back will be round instead of being indented. Many private manufacture will also be born.
Fasten
In spite of its various types of manufacture, the colonial Medal or of overseas is of a single model, whatever the Campagne for which it is allotted. Only the staples which comes to be fixed on the ribbon, makes it possible to identify the countryside which opened right to the port of the medal (exclusion made of the attribution called “without staples” for six years added up on territories opening right).If the manufacture of the tokens concerned in the beginning the monopoly the Currency Paris, that of fasten was not exclusive. The private manufacturers proposed the headings of fasten official, but they also created new ones with the request… Only the punches affixed on fasten allow to date them and identify their manufacturers.
In addition to the 56 official models, 119 different headings were thus listed. This figure, multiplied successively by the number of manufacturers (all confused times) and by the quantity carried out by each one, give us several hundreds of varieties and nearly two million specimens to fasten produced either by the State, or in the private one.
Four fasten special, which was carried out at the time of great missions, deserve our attention. It is about fasten “Of the Atlantic to the Red Sea” for the long one and perilous mission of the commander Marchand, “Saharan Mission” of the commander Lamy, “African Center” of the Gentil mission and “Gabon-Congo” for the missions of exploration in the African West directed by Savorgnan de Brazza. But beyond the object, it is in the myth of these great explorations, carried out with makeshift solutions and through immense unknown and dangerous territories, that resides (in addition to their scarcity), the interest of these very beautiful fasten, generally out of gold or money.
Some fasten:
- ALGERIA
- COCHINCHINE
- COAST Of GOLD
- MARQUESAS ISLANDS
- NOSSI-BE
- NEW CALEDONIA
- SENEGAL-SOUDAN created on February 22nd, 1896
- ISLANDS OF the COMPANY
- FRENCH WESTERN AFRICA created in 1900
- MOROCCO (war of the front 1921-1926)
- TUNISIA
- the SAHARA
- BIR-HACHEIM 1942
- ERYTHREE
- ETHIOPIA
- FEZZAN
- FEZZAN TRIPOLITAINE
- KOUFRA
- LIBYA
- SOMALIA
- FREE TUNISIA 1942-1943
- FRENCH AFRICA
-
most recent concerning the following territories:
- CHAD
- MAURITANIA
- ZAIRE
- LEBANON
- ORMUZ
- THE MIDDLE EAST
- KAMPUCHEA
- SOMALIA
- RWANDA
- IRAQ
- CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
- IVORY COAST
- DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
See too
External bond
- very complete Site treating military and civil decorations French