Chapter 33 of 36 · 3769 words · ~19 min read

Part 33

=Tonkin, 1883-5.=--The French medal for the China War of 1883-5 bears on the obverse, within a wreath of laurel, with ribbon entwined, the head of "the Republic," helmeted and laureated, with the word PATRIE on the forehead. Around, REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE. Below truncation is the artist's name, DANIEL DUPUIS. On the reverse, in the centre of a circle, within a similar wreath of laurel, are the battle names, SONTAY, BAC-NINH, FOU-TCHÉOU, FORMOSE, TUYEN-QUAN, PESCADORES. Around, TONKIN CHINE ANNAM, 1883-1885, below, with a dot on either side. This is a small circular silver medal, 1³⁄₂₀ in. in diameter, with a ring and loop for suspension from a yellow ribbon, 1½ in. wide, with four light green stripes. (See facing page 348.)

=Spanish-American War.=--Arising out of the difficulties between the Spanish and the Cubans, came the war between Spain and America and the opportunity for the United States Navy to demonstrate its power, with a squadron of only 6 ships, by destroying the fleet of 11 Spanish battleships in Manila Bay without the loss of a single man. I illustrate the remarkably fine medal which was presented by the American nation to Commodore George Dewey--Admiral Dewey, as he is known in Britain--and to the officers and men who served under him. The medal, designed by the famous American sculptor, Daniel Chester French, was struck by Messrs. Tiffany & Co. It bears on the obverse the bust of Admiral Dewey, and on the ground the following inscription, THE GIFT OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE OCEATIC SQUADRON, UNDER THE COMMAND OF COMMODORE GEORGE DEWEY. On the reverse is a finely modelled figure of an American sailor, sitting on a naval gun, holding firmly across his knees the American flag, his left foot resting on a small panel upon which the name of the ship was engraved. Encircling all is the record IN MEMORY OF THE VICTORY OF MANILA BAY, MAY 1ST, 1898. (See facing page 368.)

=German South-West Africa.=--The German medal for South-West Africa, 1904-6, marks a departure on the part of the Germans in the application of art to the making of war medals. The severity which has usually distinguished them has disappeared, and we have in very low relief the richly helmeted head of Germania, surrounded by the inscription, SUDEWEST AFRICA 1904-06, and on the reverse the Imperial crown with ribbons surmounting the Gothic initial W. II, which is arranged above crossed swords, the whole being encircled by the inscription DEN SIEGREICHEN STREITERN. The medal was given in steel to non-combatants. The ribbon is white with a series of red horizontal lines down the centre, leaving a clear white margin, which is edged with black of an equal width, and to it is attached a gilt bar for services rendered in ~KALAHARI 1908~. Like some of the medals awarded by American States, the bar is not attached to the medal, and is apt to get lost.

=The Serbo-Turkish War.=--Of this medal, with 1912 in the centre, 400,000 were struck and distributed to the officers and men who took part in the Serbo-Turkish campaign. Five medals were struck in gold for the Court. On the obverse is the Serbian Eagle, encircled by a laurel wreath upon the leaves of which are struck incuse the names of the principal battles, reading downwards on the left: Kumanovo, Uesküb, Prilip, Adrianople, Welles, N. Pazar, Debar, Istip, Prizren et Medare; and reading downwards on the right: Monastir, Scutari, Ohrid, Dojran, Sjeniza, Tetovo, Ljesch, Elbassan, Durazzo, and Pristina. The names are in Serbian characters.

On the reverse in the foreground is represented a piece of artillery captured from the Turks, with the sun in its splendour above, the date 1912 being inscribed on the orb itself, and running with the line of the medal above is the Serbian inscription, in native characters, signifying "Kossovo avenged," the field of Kossovo being the place where the Serbians lost their independence in 1389. The medal, which bears the Swiss modeller's name, Hugeunin Frères, is suspended from a silk-woven ribbon, with the national colours, red, blue, and white, repeated perpendicularly six times.

=The Serbo-Bulgarian War.=--The medal issued for the war with the Bulgarians is in the form of a Cross--41 millimetres in dimension. This is a very plain, bronze, gilt Cross, bearing on the obverse the royal monogram and surmounted by the royal crown, and on the reverse the date 1913. The decoration is suspended from a red ribbon with an edging of black. Five hundred thousand of these Crosses were issued to the officers and men who took part in the campaign, and four Crosses were struck in gold for the Court.

="For Courage."=--The third medal is for valour, and was awarded to those officers and men who particularly distinguished themselves in the two campaigns. On the obverse is a strong figure of Obilitch, a warrior revered by the Serbian people. He has been their national hero since 1389, the ideal and the eternal spirit which inspired and encouraged the Serbian people to live for the time when they could throw off the yoke of the Turk. Around the bust of Obilitch is the inscription, in Serbian characters, Miloch Obilitch, National Hero, 1389. It will be noticed that the crest or chimera which surmounts the helmet of the hero helps to give the connection between the shaped ring for suspension and the decoration. On the reverse is the cross of chivalry, and a wreath of laurel encircling the legend, in Serbian characters, "For Courage." Crossed swords fittingly fill the gaps between the arms of the cross. The medal, modelled by M. Henri Hugeunin, is 36 millimetres in diameter, is suspended from a red silk ribbon. Seven of these decorations (see facing page 376) were struck in gold, 101 in silver, 4,000 in silver-plated bronze, and 27,000 in bronze gilt.

[Illustration: FOR SERBO-TURKISH WAR, 1912.

FOR SERBO-BULGARIAN WAR, 1913.

SERBIAN MEDALS.]

=The Sanatory Cross.=--The "Sanatory Cross," which is bronze gilt and enamelled, and 40 millimetres at its greatest dimension, was distributed to those men and women who rendered service in the medical department during the two campaigns. On the obverse is the Serbian eagle on an enamelled ground, and on the reverse the inscription in Serbian characters, "For care to the wounded and sick." The inscription also stands out on an enamelled circle. Four thousand five hundred were issued with the sky-blue ribbon arranged in triangular form for men, and 3,500 in tie form for women. (See facing page 376.)

=French Veteran's Medal.=--An interesting medal is that worn by French veterans who are members of the ~SOCIÉTÉ DE SECOURS MUTUELS FRANÇAISE DES EX MILITAIRES~. It bears this inscription in a circle, and on the reverse a trophy of arms. It is suspended from a wreath of laurel, tied with flying ribbons, by a ribbon into which is woven the colours of various war ribbons.

APPENDIX I

PISTRUCCI'S WATERLOO MEDAL

In the year 1819, when the battle of Waterloo was still fresh in the minds of every one, the Prince Regent, who became George IV, being desirous of fitly commemorating the event, conceived the idea of doing so by the striking of a medal which by reason of its magnificence would do justice to the great achievement of arms. To this end a competition among the great artists of the day was suggested to the Royal Academicians, but they unanimously selected Flaxman to execute the commission. He produced a design which, approved by his peers, was passed on to Benedetto Pistrucci, a Roman who succeeded T. Wyon as chief engraver at the Royal Mint. Signor Pistrucci, however, refused to cut the dies, on the grounds that his abilities and position placed him above that of a mere die cutter. His claims were acceded to; Flaxman's designs were abandoned, and Pistrucci was commissioned to prepare a modelled design, which was "instantly honoured by the fullest and most flattering approbation of" the Prince Regent. He thereupon received instructions to cut the dies for a fee of £3,500, the price being based upon the assumption that the design contained as much work as thirty ordinary-sized medals, and certainly a glance at the reduced photographs facing page 80--the medal is 5½ in. in diameter--will give some idea of the exceeding amount of work which the famous die cutter and gem carver put into his _chef d'œuvre_. The dies were finished in 1849; and of the great men who were to receive the medal in gold, the Duke of Wellington--the greatest of them all--was the only survivor when a lead impression was taken for submission to the Lords of the Treasury.

It is stated that the reason for the failure to strike from the massive dies was owing to the super difficulties which could not be overcome in any attempt to harden them. The real reason may, however, be found in our altered relationship with the Continental nations, and in consequence thereof the Government of the day had no desire to do anything which might give offence to our ally in 1850. It was felt, however, that Pistrucci's masterpiece should not be kept from the public, and the Lords of the Treasury handed the matrices to a Mr. Johnson of Alexander Terrace, Bayswater, who prepared a number of electrotypes, a pair of which have been kindly lent me for illustration herein by my friend and late student, Cecil Thomas, who, like Pistrucci, is one of the very few craftsmen who are equally at home in the cutting of steel or gem stones.

_The Official Description._--"Both sides of the medal are treated allegorically, except the central part of the obverse, which represents the busts of the four allied Sovereigns, the Prince Regent, Emperor of Austria, Emperor of Russia, and King of Prussia, grouped together in profile. Around this group of actual portraits the figures constitute an allegorical and mythological allusion to the treaty of peace which was consequent upon the great triumph on the field of battle. The summit of the surrounding groupings presents Apollo in his car restoring the day. The rainbow zephyr and Iris follow the chariot of the sun in succession, but the zephyr is tending towards the earth, and scattering flowers, as the emblem of peace and tranquillity.

"On the opposite side, the car of Apollo is seen closely approaching the constellation Gemini, personified, as usual, by a pair of graceful youths, indicating the month in which the great contest took place. Castor and Pollux, each armed with spears, are intended to elucidate the apotheosis of Wellington and Blucher. Themis, the goddess of justice, appears on earth, as in the Golden Age. This figure is placed in front of the profile busts of the Sovereigns, to show that Justice is a greater security to government than Power. The goddess is seated on a rock; a palm-tree waves over her head; she is prepared to reward virtue with its branches in one hand, and in the other holds a sword for the ready punishment of crime. Power is personified by a robust man of mature age, bearded, and armed with a club; he is seated under an oak-tree, and forms the corresponding figure, at the back of the group of busts of the Allied Sovereigns, to that of Justice facing it. Beneath Themis the Fates are introduced, to indicate that henceforward human actions will be controlled by Justice alone. These actions and passions are represented by the Furies, which, being placed beneath the emblematical figure of Power, are subjected to its influence, and no longer suffered to quit the infernal regions, or Cimmerian caverns, in which, at the base of this side of the medal, the allegory is completed by the figure of Night, the mother of the Fates, receding into darkness from the ruling daylight of Phœbus' car on the summit.

"The central group on the reverse consists of a couple of equestrian figures, classically treated, but having the countenances of Wellington and Blucher. They are full of action; the figure personifying the Hero of Waterloo is galloping in advance, and that of the veteran Blucher is rushing to the aid of his companion in glory, to complete the enemy's destruction. They are guided by a female figure of a flying Victory, placed between them, conducting their horses to the conflict. Quite detached from this central group, and forming a border round it, a composition of many figures represents the battle of the Giants. They are struck down by the thunder of Jupiter; the youngest ones, being the most daring in the assault of heaven, are the first to receive the Divine punishment. In their descent they tumble over one another in every variety of attitude--symbolical of the confusion of the defeated enemy. The number of the figures of the Giants is nineteen, illustrative of the nineteen years' duration of the war; and in grouping these figures they are represented following each other in succession."

[Illustration: MEDAL FOR COURAGE.

MEDAL FOR SERVICE TO THE WOUNDED.

SERBIAN MEDALS.]

APPENDIX II

REGIMENTAL DESIGNATIONS

CAVALRY

INFANTRY

N.B.--All the above Infantry Regiments had two Battalions.

[Since the outbreak of war the number of battalions in all Regiments has been considerably increased.]

[Illustration: GREEK MEDAL FOR GRECO-TURKISH WAR, 1913. (Obverse.)]

[Illustration: GERMAN MEDAL FOR SOUTH-WEST AFRICA, 1904-6.]

[Illustration: GREEK MEDAL FOR GRECO-TURKISH WAR, 1913. (Reverse.)]

APPENDIX III

SALE PRICES