France French miniatures

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

there is one on this thread

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4007&hl=

but am curious. i never saw French soldiers wearing miniatures ... who were these made for? Foreign recipients?

best

Chrie

[Christophe]

Hi Chris,

The miniature shown is in fact a civil one.

But about your question :

Miniatures are to be worn on civil clothes only (what we call in French "habit", which is a formal suit, but this "habit" is rarely worn today. They should not be worn on a tuxedo, which is considered as an "interior" cloth).

They are never worn on uniforms.

They can be worn by French and foreigners.

There is a precise code about this, but nowadays, it is less strictly applied...

Ch.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Chris,

The miniature shown is in fact a civil one.

But about your question :

Miniatures are to be worn on civil clothes only (what we call in French "habit", which is a formal suit, but this "habit" is rarely worn today. They should not be worn on a tuxedo, which is considered as an "interior" cloth).

They are never worn on uniforms.

They can be worn by French and foreigners.

There is a precise code about this, but nowadays, it is less strictly applied...

Ch.

Hi,

thanks, I had never seen them being worn. Is there a website where you can buy minitures? I would be intrested t see what is availible.

best

Chris

[Christophe]

Hi,

thanks, I had never seen them being worn. (...)

Chris

You're welcome. Just have a look at pics of French veterans being "honoured" in official ceremonies. They generally are in civil clothes, and some of them wear these miniatures.

Ch.

[Chris Boonzaier]

You're welcome. Just have a look at pics of French veterans being "honoured" in official ceremonies. They generally are in civil clothes, and some of them wear these miniatures.

Ch.

that is what confuses me, usually you always see French vets with fulsized medlas.

Every year on the 14th July at out regt they used to award medals to vets, for guys who had served WW2etc. all of these guys, when wearing medals, had the regular ones.

best

cHRIS

[Christophe]

Here is the French 1st President of the "Cour des Comptes", Philippe Seguin, the day of his investiture, on 6 September 2004.

Ch.

Photo : Patrick Kovarik (AFP)

[Christophe]

that is what confuses me, usually you always see French vets with fulsized medlas.

Every year on the 14th July at out regt they used to award medals to vets, for guys who had served WW2etc. all of these guys, when wearing medals, had the regular ones.

best

cHRIS

Chris,

When they are in uniforms, for a ceremony, they have to wear the regular size, "m?dailles pendantes". Miniatures are lot allowed.

When they are in civil, they should normally wear miniatures; but some don't have miniatures or prefer wearing the regular size.

Ch.

[Christophe]

On this pic, the guy in the middle has just been awarded the Legion d'Honneur. the guy on the right , in civil suit, is just wearing his miniatures.

Ch.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

any idea where you can buy them online?

[Christophe]

Frankly, no specific idea... except the usual ones (eBay...).

Ch.

[Christophe]

Another example : the French Academician H?l?ne Carr?re d'Encausse.

Ch.

Pic : AFP - Fefelberg.

[Christophe]

Another pic, of the ceremony of 8 May 2005, in Paris.

Ch.

Pic : Minist?re de la D?fense (France)

[Jacques]

[Currently for active duty, these miniatures are worn with the gala uniform only and are available on several supports. For the reserve , there are worn on the civil clothe during ceremonies.

Look at the guy behind the red beret.

I think that all the french and NATO medals are available at any "Ma?tre tailleur" shop, but the prices are generally high.

jacques

[g_deploige]

here a miniature of the Ordre National du M?rite,second National order of France, mounted for a lady

[Kev in Deva]

Hi,

thanks, I had never seen them being worn. Is there a website where you can buy minitures? I would be intrested t see what is availible.

best

Chris

Hallo Chris,

the following bars with minitures are in my collection, the first is Belgian, and was obtained here in Romania last year, It has the following medals:

1 Belgium Inter-Allied Victory Medal-

2 Belgium commemorative War medal.

3 Military Decoration for Long Service.

4 The Commemorative Medal of the 100th Anniversary of National Independence.

5 The Civil Decoration for Bravery, Devotion and Philanthropy??

6 Order of the Palms.

Bar Number 2 is French:

1 Medal of Merit.

2 Cross of war 1939 with bronze, silver star and palm devices.

3 Cross sof War, Outside European Theatre with bronze and silver stars.

4 Resistance Medal.

5 British Distinguished Service Order.

6 Colonial Medal & Extreme Orient bar.

7 Combatant Cross

8 Liberation Medal with Liberation & Germany bars.

9 Wound Medal with two stars.

Now unless this guy was some super-hero-action-man, this bar must have just been slung together because it seems to cover every WW2 theatre of war !! The bar is designed to hold 8 minis but 9 have been squeezed on it. But as it ony cost me 45 dollars I think its quite ok

Kev in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Chris,

the following bars with minitures are in my collection, the first is Belgian, and was obtained here in Romania last year, It has the following medals:

1 Belgium Inter-Allied Victory Medal-

2 Belgium commemorative War medal.

3 Military Decoration for Long Service.

4 The Commemorative Medal of the 100th Anniversary of National Independence.

5 The Civil Decoration for Bravery, Devotion and Philanthropy??

6 Order of the Palms.

Bar Number 2 is French:

1 Medal of Merit.

2 Cross of war 1939 with bronze, silver star and palm devices.

3 Cross sof War, Outside European Theatre with bronze and silver stars.

4 Resistance Medal.

5 British Distinguished Service Order.

6 Colonial Medal & Extreme Orient bar.

7 Combatant Cross

8 Liberation Medal with Liberation & Germany bars.

9 Wound Medal with two stars.

Now unless this guy was some super-hero-action-man, this bar must have just been slung together because it seems to cover every WW2 theatre of war !! The bar is designed to hold 8 minis but 9 have been squeezed on it. But as it ony cost me 45 dollars I think its quite ok

Kev in Deva

Edited March 25, 2006 by Kev in Deva

[Chris Boonzaier]

Would the order have been right? I think the combattant cross and DSO would be otherwise ordered in there?

[Hendrik]

Now unless this guy was some super-hero-action-man, this bar must have just been slung together because it seems to cover every WW2 theatre of war !! The bar is designed to hold 8 minis but 9 have been squeezed on it. But as it ony cost me 45 dollars I think its quite ok

Hello Dev & Chris,

I'm afraid I have to agree that the bar seems to have been made up ...

As a non-French award the DSO should be placed as the very last one on this bar.

I guess it's possible to work out a possible career that would allow one to earn this combination of awards ... say, being a French soldier in 1939, then - after the French surrender - joining the resistance and, once liberated, rejoining the army and going into Germany with it. After the war, transfer to Indochina to fight there. And getting killed there as the award of the Commemorative Medal for Indochina is missing. A bit far fetched I would think but theoretically possible ???

No trouble with the price : the mini-DSO on its own already covers much of that

[g_deploige]

Here tree beautiful examples

1. Ordre de la L?gion d'honneur

2. Ordre du M?rite Agrecole

3. Ordre des Arts et Lettres

[g_deploige]

Ordre de la L?gion d'honneur

[g_deploige]

Ordre M?rite Agr?cole

[g_deploige]

Ordre des Arts et Lettres

[g_deploige]

A beautifull set of miniatures I saw in the Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen (Danmark)

Rosenborg

[g_deploige]

Chris

You can buy miniatures by the folws manufactures in France

1. Monnaie de Paris

2. Arthus Bertrand

3. Bacqueville

4. Mouret

[Hendrik]

Ordre des Arts et Lettres

Thanks for posting these, Guy; I love the Arts et Lettres design

Cheers,

Hendrik