15929845220001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141552170534539762417053297520001705345376637fitz-onlineadlib-object-141552https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/1415520689a9fe-68d5-39ff-8ea1-521f0f900acd7referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsThe young state of Mexico relied heavily on foreign loans, but in 1861 President Benito Juárez suspended interest payments on loans from France, Spain and Great Britain. All three powers united in action to recover their money. Ordinarily European operations on the American coast would have been internationally impossible, but the ongoing United States Civil War gave the European powers scope for direct intervention.
The power most interested in the campaign was France, whose developing intentions of conquest caused the British and Spanish to withdraw in April 1862. Initial Mexican resistance soon faltered before the efficiency of the French army and by June 1863 Mexico City had fallen, President Juárez fleeing north. The French installed a Habsburg Archduke, Maximilian, as head of a new liberal and constitutional monarchy, but he enjoyed little support. Resistance continued and by 1865 the military tide had begun to turn, as the re-United States began to supply the Mexican Republicans with arms. The French finally began to withdraw in 1866, leaving King Maximilian to defend himself; he was captured and executed in June 1867.
Early in the campaign, Emperor Napoléon III instituted a campaign award for its soldiers, and this continued to be issued until 1869 to veterans of the episode. The medal is distinguished by the elaborate design of the suspension ribbon, which shows an eagle fighting a snake.
This medal is unnamed, and it cannot now be known to whom it was awarded. Although the medal is part of the Watson Collection, Lester Watson's own lists give no provenance for it.CM.1458-20091accession numberCM.1458-2009141552priref141552Watson CatalogueAorderingM-0341previous object numberLW.0341urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141552https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141552Bust of Napoleon wreathed facing left, surrounded by laurel wreathobverseNAPOLEON III EMPEREURdesignBound wreath surrounding inscription and central inscription that reads "CUMBRES / CERRO BORREGO / SAN LORENZO / PUERLA / MEXICO"reversedesignreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumGiven by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009referenceagent-206432adlib-agent-206432e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afbWatson, Lester200920092009givenon loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-2009186318631863186318691186918691869mintreferenceagent-158722adlib-agent-1587221cffff36-4957-3dbb-9b48-c4d5b506440aParisrulerreferenceagent-153729adlib-agent-15372996be19f4-fb2b-307e-b13f-1bfb98cb782bNapoleon III (1852-70)artistreferenceagent-7579adlib-agent-757994e7eff0-7819-3f9c-805f-891598617347Barre, Albert-Désirémintreferenceagent-190888adlib-agent-190888eb8cafff-8703-3b36-9b93-c33742cb7e89Colmar, Parisreferenceterm-130759adlib-term-130759f9058fb6-5239-3190-97d0-62a0faac8f72Colmarreferenceterm-39778adlib-term-397788bd60ed6-968d-3faf-8ad5-b4e4ee9bb245silverDiametermm30.4Weightg14.56referencemedia-116655adlib-media-116655f2376b8a-ddbd-3304-8bdf-c41561d494f7jpegcm/cm15/LW_0341_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16516162853240011imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0341_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16516162853240011imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0341_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16516162853240011imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0341_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16516162853240011image0media
imagereferencemedia-116656adlib-media-11665601148854-8d26-332e-8ce0-21eb2d55626djpegcm/cm15/LW_0341_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16316162382000311imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0341_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16316162382000311imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0341_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16316162382000311imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0341_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16316162382000311image1media
imagereferenceterm-123082adlib-term-12308258134cba-1943-3f05-b5d3-da8b254c36f4Médaille de Mexiquedenominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-120306adlib-term-1203064c444129-3d8c-340f-bfbd-b4d82e5cbd17Francesubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, no provenance.referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum84-85referencepublication-5894adlib-publication-58943c9fff39-4ab7-3e05-83ba-0f9441ec5525French Orders and Decorationsreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-123082adlib-term-12308258134cba-1943-3f05-b5d3-da8b254c36f4Médaille de MexiqueMédaille de Mexiquereferenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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