Colonial Medal

Medal

The medal was introduced by the Finance Act of 23 July 1893, and its implementing decree of 6 March 1894 listed the military operations carried out by France in its colonies or protectorates, including Algeria, Cochin, Gold Coast, Marquesas Islands, Nossi-Bé, New Caledonia, Senegal and Sudan, Society Islands, and Tunisia. The decree had broad retroactive effect, as the first operations considered for the award dated back to 1827, at the beginning of the conquest of Algeria. Numerous later regulations amended or supplemented the award; the most recent include the decree of 6 June 1962 that transformed the Médaille Coloniale into the Médaille d'Outre-Mer. The colonial medal is closely linked to the existence of the French colonial empire. On the obverse is the helmeted effigy of the Republic with 'République française' engraved above; on the reverse, a world map occupies the central field, resting on an anchor across a trophy of arms. The ribbon is white and blue with vertical stripes, its length varying from 35 to 37 mm. The design is attributed to Capitaine de frégate Saulnier Pinellas, because the original award was for sailors. Production was performed by the administration of the Paris Mint and a private company that manufactured the socket of the pendant ring, leaves, and clasps crimping indentations. The sets were delivered complete to the ministries of the Navy and War, which then presented the medals to recipients, though delays occurred because medals were not always immediately available. The monopoly of the Paris Mint and the sluggishness of its administration created a boom for the private market, forcing the administration to allow parallel manufacture under set specifications; nevertheless, some marginal versions appeared.