Collecting Medals Part 1: Qing Dynasty

In the last few decades of the Qing Dynasty, new medals were issued to help promote recognition, especially to foreigners. The first new types of medals that were created in the 1880s were based on traditional design with a few European influences. This all changed in the later 1890s when the same medals were redesigned to match the European style. These included the basic types such as medals, sashes, and breast stars.

With any medal that come from any country, usually ones that comes with the ribbon, original box, and named certificate can command a higher premium. This is especially true for Chinese medals as boxes and certificates are one of the first things to get lost and easily damaged or destroyed. 

Majority of the Qing medals that are found today were awarded to Europeans themselves. Many Europeans that were in China made contributions to civil and military causes. Some of these can include government advising civilian and military, helping with disasters, infrastructure work, and many others. 

Medals that were awarded to Chinese people were lost or destroyed over the long period of wars and disasters. This also happens to be the same result with different awards post-Qing period. I wouldn't be surprised if a Chinese person that was awarded with a Qing medal would maybe destroy the medal after the fall of the regime. Most of the medals were made out of silver and if a disaster occurred, one can use this bargaining piece to trade for a few bags of rice. 

Examples of Qing Dynasty medals would include, but not limited to, Order of the Double Dragon 雙龍寶星 as pictured below. 

Pictured Order of the Double Dragons
2nd class, 1st grade (left) and 3rd class, 1st grade (right)
Author's Collection