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The first official campaign medal to be awarded by the French Government The St. Helena Medal was awarded retrospectively to veterans of the 'Grande Armee' who had fought and otherwise served during the various campaigns and wars of the Napoleonic era 1792-1815 The Saint Helena Medal was awarded to all French and foreign soldiers, from the land armies or naval fleets, who served the Republic or the Empire between the years 1792 and 1815 inclusive. The medal was awarded with no condition of minimum time of service in any one campaign; but it was, however, necessary to prove one's right to the medal with a record of service or leave record at the time of application. A later decree of 16 April 1864, added the Saint Helena Medal to the list of awards that could be revoked following a condemnation to a fixed prison term of one year or more for a crime committed by the recipient The Saint Helena Medal was accompanied by an award certificate from the Grand Chancery of the Legion of Honour and came in a white cardboard box with intricate ornamentation on the lid in the form of an embossed imperial eagle over the inscription on seven lines "Aux Compagnons De Gloire de Napoleon I Decret Imperial Du 12 Aout 1857' The medal enhanced by being fitted with a long length of original silk issue riband A choice 'chocolate bronze' medal Condition: EF
Code: 20383
SOLD
The Order of Merit for the Sahara was instituted in 1958 as a colonial order for award in the French colonies spread across the Sahara Desert region of Africa. It comprised three classes of award (Commander, Officer and Member). On 3 December 1963, the order was suspended, and has not been awarded since. Notwithstanding the suspension of the order in 1963, all recipients of the order were permitted to continue to wear their insignia in uniform or in civil dress The insignia is a finely fashioned 'Agadez Cross', the traditional emblem of the Tuareg clans inhabiting the area of the former Sultanate of Agadez in Agadez, Niger A scarce example of a most attractive and very short lived French colonial order Condition: GVF
Code: 20367
145.00 GBP
The clasps represent diverse Volunteer 'Combat' service during the Second World War, and in post war conflicts in Indochina (Vietnam) and service with the French United Nations contingent in Korea 1950-1953 With Paris Mint 'Cornucopia' logo and BR (Bronze) hallmarks on reverse. Approximately 34mm dimension The official 'Geographic' clasps instituted for this award are those for 'Indochine', 'Coree' and 'Afrique Du Nord', in respect of Combat Volunteers service in the Indochina War, the Korean War and the various 'End-of Empire' conflicts in North Africa, including, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Sahara and Mauritania The medal riband fitted with a two-pronged mounting pin, or 'epingle', as worn in the traditional French style Scarce seen with multiple clasps Condition: EF
Code: 20366
75.00 GBP
Medal is of the first 'Premier Type' with makers marks for 'Mercier' on double sided wreath suspension The medal with Paris Mint 'Cornucopia' logo, and word 'Argent' (silver) indented on rim of medal All 3 x clasps are of the official Paris Mint 'Clapet' type, and all bearing multiple mint & silver assay marks, or 'poincons' on both the obverse and on the backstraps of the clasps 'Algerie': Instituted on 6 March 1894, this clasp was made retrospective to include numerous specified qualifying campaigns from 1827 through to 1912 'Tonkin': Instituted on 7 June 1895, the clasp was awarded for numerous campaigns and expeditions in North Vietnam, between 1893-1928 'Afrique Occidentale Francaise': Instituted in 1901, the clasp was awarded in respect of numerous specified qualifying expeditions and services in Togo, Cameroon, Sudan, Dahomey, Guinea, Mauritania A very good example of a multi-clasp French Colonial Medal, representing diverse service in North Africa, Indochina & West Africa Condition: About GVF
Code: 20365
165.00 GBP
Important: The clasp of the official Paris Mint 'Oriental' type. This with Paris Mint 'poincon' hallmark on reverse of clasp comprising twin 'Cornucopia' logos with numeral '2' between The medal is of the second official Paris Mint type with single sided suspension wreath. The reverse of medal with Paris Mint twin 'Cornucopia' logos and numeral '2' in between The clasp 'Indochine' was instituted in 1936 for campaign service in the Federation of Indochina, including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia . The clasp includes service during the Second World War - when Vichy French 'Colonial' troops fought a border war with Thailand in 1940-1941 The clasp 'Indochine' in the 'Oriental' style with official Paris Mint marks is scarce seen on the market A desirable Colonial Medal including a rare variant clasp Condition: GVF
Code: 20364
Reserved
Important: The clasp 'Maroc 1928-29' - for campaign service in Morocco 1928-1929, and is a rare variant clasp struck by the Paris maker 'Delande' The medal is of the second official Paris Mint type with single sided suspension wreath Medal with Paris Mint twin 'Cornucopia' logos and numeral '2' in between, on reverses of medal The medal fitted with a good length of original silk 'moire' riband A desirable Colonial Medal including a rare variant clasp Condition: Toned EF
Code: 20363
Second type (30mm) with uniface (single-sided) suspension. This the 'London' variant made for the Free French by London maker 'J.R. Gaunt', the makers marks J.R.G. on reverse of the medal The clasp 'Bir Hacheim 1942' if also of the original - and scarce - 'F.F.L' type struck in London by maker 'J.R. Gaunt'. This having the distinctive blue silver toning and pebbled obverse background The clasp represents service with 'Free French' forces who fought Rommel's Afrika Corps at the famous battle of 'Bir Hakeim'- a French battle for ever associated the French Foreign Legion 'La Legion Etranger' and in particular the services there of 13th DBLE, or 13th Demi-Brigade The medal complete with a long length of the distinctive 'London' made silk colonial medal riband A rare and very desirable Free French issue of the Colonial Medal for the most famous French 'Desert' action of the Second World War Condition: Toned EF
Code: 20362
The medal is the official type by 'Barre', with the name 'Barre' below portrait on the obverse of medal. With official French silver hallmark, or 'Poincon', indented on reverse of the suspension. The mark being an 'Eagle's' head that was used on the campaign medals of the Second Empire period The Medal fitted with original silk 'moire' riband with distinctive blue embroidered Chinese characters on both sides of the riband The medal was established by imperial decree on 23 January 1861, by Emperor Napoleon III, as a military award of the Second French Empire to reward French soldiers and sailors who had taken part in the latter stages of the 'Second Opium War' 1856-1860 On 3 August 1860, a British and French 'Expeditionary Corps', comprising an estimated 11,000 British and 6,700 French soldiers landed at Pei Tang and captured the Taku Forts on 21 August. The force then marched on Peking (now Beijing) and captured the Imperial City, there on, 6 October 1860. The war ended on 18 October 1860 with the humiliating 'Convention of Peking' that ceded numerous territorial concessions in China to the foreign powers It is estimated that 8,000 medals were awarded to French military and naval personnel for the China Expedition of 1860 Scarce Condition: VF
Code: 20361
475.00 GBP
With Paris Mint 'Cornucopia' logo and 'Br' metal marks on reverse The Orient Medal was instituted in 1926, and was awarded to French personnel that served primarily - but not exclusively - in Salonika, and took part in the 'Balkans' Campaigns against the enemy forces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Bulgaria between 1915 - 1918 Important: The Orient Medal had a much wider geographic qualifying scope than the 'Salonika / Balkans' theatres. It included French detachments in Egypt, Palestine and 'The Hejaz' that served with the British Egyptian Field Force, and included the famous '1er Regiment Mixte de Cavalerie Du Levant', or 1st Mixed Cavalry Regiment. This French cavalry regiment added to the 5th Australian Light Horse Brigade and attached to the Australian Mounted Division on 26 July 1918, and was a composite regiment formed from two colonial regiments, comprising one squadron each of 1er Regiment Spahis and 4er Regiment Spahis; and, two of 4er Regiment de Marche Chausseurs d'Afrique. This French cavalry served with great distinction alongside the 14th and 15th regiments of Australian Light Horse, in the 5th Australian Light Horse Brigade, during the Palestine Campaign, and in particular, gained distinction at the capture of Nablus, Palestine, in September 1918 The medal fitted with a good length of original silk 'moire' riband Condition: GVF
Code: 20360
The reverse of the medal with Paris Mint 'Cornucopia' logo and 'BR' (bronze) marks in lower field The qualifying criteria for this clasp was service in French Indochina between 1940-1945, and in particular the Franco-Siam (Thailand) border war of 1940 fought by Vichy colonial forces (including 5e REI, or the 5th Regiment of Foreign Infantry ' Regiment of Tonkin' - a regiment of the French Foreign Legion) and the bloody Franco-Japan campaign of 1945, when the occupying Imperial Japanese Forces unleashed a 'Coup d'Etat', or campaign to destroy and remove the French colonial forces and facilitate indigenous nationalist forces supplant French colonial rule in Vietnam and the two neighbouring countries of Laos and Cambodia.....the seeds of the first Vietnam War had been sown! Wound Emblem: Prior to 2016 there was no 'official' wound medal - the authorised 'Wound' insignia was originally a riband only with a red enamelled star. Later the protocol was to wear the approved red enamelled star on the respective campaign medal riband. Later still, white metal bars (agrafes) with red enamelled star centres were authorised for wear. In practise, while serving personnel followed the official protocols, veterans who left the services, did as they pleased many opting to wear the unofficial medals, while others wore the 'Wound Stars' on the ribands of the respective campaign medals for the campaigns in which they had been wounded. In 2016 after many years of clamour for change, the French authorities approved the award of an official wound medal, the recently introduced medal using the original 'Wound' ribbon of the Great War, and the common design of the hitherto unofficial wound medal that had been worn by veterans since 1918 A scarce clasp & wound emblem to find on this medal Condition: About EF
Code: 20359
40.00 GBP
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