French medals

De Francesco, Julie Kathleen

Hello, my aunt recently shared images of these bronze medals that belonged to her grandfather (my g grandfather) who was French. I know that he was from the Alsace region and was a prisoner of war during WWI because he refused to take an oath of allegiance to Germany. I have found the same images online, but nothing that tells me why or when they were awarded. Can anyone help with this? Merci! Julie DeFrancesco

Medal image from Aunt Elsie.jpg

Medal image from Aunt Elsie'back side.jpg

Medal image B from Aunt Elsie.jpg

Medal image B from Aunt Elsie'back side.jpg

matthieucrouet

There are not medals.

These are commemoratives coins from the Monnaie de Paris.

All about your first coin : https://www.cgb.fr/troisieme-republique-medaille-de-recompense-ttb-,fme_594824,a.html

All about the second coin here : https://fr.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia292064.html

De Francesco, Julie Kathleen

Thank you for you kind reply. I did find the first article, but not the second. I see now where the second coin was a "commemorative event medal" and might have been purchased at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889, but after reading the article associated with the first coin I am still unclear. The first "medal" is referred to as a "Third Republic award medal". I still don't know when or under what circumstances it would have been acquired. It is interesting that my great grandfathers name is engraved on the reverse side. Many thanks for your time. Regards, Julie

matthieucrouet

Sorry, the second is an award medal that administration departments could use to honour the commitment of their staff.

It seems Guillaume Umbdenstock worked for the office of the labour of internees in Switzerland.