France. A Dahomey Expedition Commemorative Medal 1892

In silver, engraver marked ""DANIEL DUPUIS"" on the obverse, 30.2 mm, original ribbon, extremely fine.

Footnote: The Dahomey Expedition Commemorative Medal was bestowed upon the participants of the First Franco-Dahomean War (1890) and of the Second Franco-Dahomean War (1892-1894), to commemorate their feats of arms. In 1892, France decided to send an expeditionary force of 1,801 Europeans and 1,769 natives under the command of Marine Infantry Colonel Alfred Dodds, in response to the harassment of the kingdom of Porto-Novo under its protectorate and its trading posts on the coast of Dahomey by the troops of Behanzin, the King of Abomey. The troops taking part in this expedition, which lasted five months, defeated the 12,000 warrior strong army (including the 2,000 women strong Corps of amazons) of Behanzin at Dogba. France thus reconquered the Kingdom of Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin) and placed at its head, Toffa as the King of Porto-Novo. King Behanzin was captured in 1893 and deported to Martinique then to Algiers where he died in 1906. The Law of November 24, 1892 instituted the medal for award to the officers, sailors and soldiers who took part in this campaign. 

This offering is a part of the "Dr. Albert Goodwin Collection", a preeminent assemblage of world Orders, Medals, and Decorations composed solely by Dr.Goodwin between 1946-1967. Dr. Goodwin had a successful career as an educator and prominent physician in New York as well as actively serving in both World Wars with the United States Medical Corps. He acted as both President and Vice-President of the Orders and Medals Society of America (OMSA) and is responsible for organizing their first convention in 1960. He maintained further membership with the American Society of Military Collectors, the International Orders Research Society, and the American Numismatic Society. His knowledge and passion for history and awards is evident in this meticulously compiled collection that is now available in its entirety for the first time exclusively on eMedals.com.