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Verdun Medal

Period1917

MediumBronze

Dimensions0.13 × 1.44 in. (0.3 × 3.7 cm)

SignedThe medal is signed by the artist "S. E./ VERNIER / 1917" on the obverse side to the left of the female figure.

ClassificationsThe Robert Hartshorne World War I Collection

Credit LineGift of Mary Minturn Adams in memory of her Hartshorne Ancestors, 2018

Object number2018.10.20.7

DescriptionA small circular medal struck in bronze. On the obverse, a helmeted female figured identified as Marianne, the national emblem of the French Republic, clutching a sword in her right hand, her left hand clenched in a fist, facing right, with the inscription "ON NE PASSE PAS" arching above her head. The artist's signature "S. E. Vernier / 1917" appears above her shoulder at the far left. On the reverse, the double turrets of the Porte Chausee in Verdun are encircled by laurel leaves and the inscription "VERDUN / 21 FEVRIER / 1916." The cornucopia of the Paris Mint and the word "BRONZE" are stamped along the rim edge of the medal. The medal retains its original storage box of white paper-covered cardboard, the lid of which is stamped with a gilt crown. Also accompanying the medal is its original descriptive printed paper handbill, reading "TO THE HIGH CHIEFS, OFFICERS / SOLDIERS, TO ALL, / The heroes, known and unknown, / both dead and living, who have trium- / phed over the barbarians' onslaught / and immortalized her name throughout / the world and for ages to come, the / Town of Verdun, inviolate and stan - / ding on her ruins, dedicates this medal, / in token of her gratitude. / Paris, 20th November, 1916."
Curatorial RemarksThis small medal was created to honor the heroism of the defenders of Verdun during World War I. A strategic location in France for centuries, Verdun became the prolonged target of Germany beginning on 21 February of 1916. German forces attempted to gain control of Verdun, finally ending the ultimately unsuccessful onslaught on 2 November 1916. Verdun was the longest and largest battle of the entire war, with casualties reaching over 700,000. Robert Nivelle (1856 - 1924) was a French artillery officer who was credited with the statement "On ne passe pas" (They shall not pass) during the battle of Verdun, which became a rallying cry for the French Army throughout the war. The medal was originally intended to be awarded to those who served on the Verdun front between February and November of 1916, but was actually given to anyone who served on the Argonne and St. Mihiel sectors between 1914 and 1918. The Vernier medal was produced in both a wearable silver format and a bronze non-wearable format. (Please see accession number 2018.10.26 for the silver Verdun medal.) Medallist Emile Seraphin Vernier was born in Paris in 1852 and was first apprenticed to a carver. He quickly became interested in medal making, metal chasing, and jewelry design and was one of the first artists to apply medal making techniques to jewelry making. He received a commission from the French Government to travel to Egypt in order to study the techniques of ancient Egyptians jewelry makers, eventually becoming an internationally recognized expert on ancient Egyptian jewelry. Vernier often signed his works with his first and middle initials transposed as "S. E." rather than "E. S." Vernier died in 1927.NotesThis medal was collected by Robert Hartshorne during his service in the First World War. Hartshorne joined the American Red Cross in 1916. His association with that organization apparently put him in touch with the American Committee for Devastated France, which intended to introduce modern American farming methods in those battlefield areas heavily damaged near Rheims. Hartshorne arrived in France in May of 1918 and returned to the United States at the end of December the same year. Hartshorne collected numerous medals, uniform insignia, and souvenirs commemorating his time abroad. For a more complete biography of Robert Hartshorne, please see the portrait miniature of Robert Hartshorne (accession number 2018.10.9).

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