About Commemorative Medal for the Opening of a Mine, Reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
Compiled from partner sources; under review and editing by our team.
Translated from Thai by AI and not yet reviewed by our team. Names and royal titles may need correction.
History
The mine-opening commemorative medal is regarded as one of the most popular commemorative medals of the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) among collectors, because of its beautiful and unusual appearance. The obverse bears the royal portrait of King Chulalongkorn, similar to the "one baht" coin issued in 1876 (B.E. 2419; R.S. 95), while the reverse bears a French inscription, "MINES DE KHAOTREE, GetT". In addition, the medal is finely and beautifully struck, and is presumed to have been produced abroad to commemorate the opening of a mine in Siam at that time.
However, the history of this mine-opening medal is extremely difficult to trace. The date of 1880 (B.E. 2423) is cited only from the world-class auction house Heritage Coin, and it has not been possible to confirm it with deeper primary sources such as the Royal Gazette (Ratchakitchanubeksa). It also cannot be confirmed where exactly this mine was located. However, the French inscription on the reverse suggests that it was a mining enterprise funded by French investors. Furthermore, research into mining concessions from the reign of King Chulalongkorn shows that most mining investment in that period was in tin mines in southern Siam, as well as wolframite, with only a few gold-mining concessions, for example in the Lom Sak area of Phetchabun and in parts of the east.
Caption: Mine-opening medal in gilt brass
Caption: Mine-opening medal in gilt bronze
Design
- Obverse
- Portrait of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in full civil dress uniform. The inscription around the rim reads "สมเด็จพระปรมินทรมหาจุฬาลงกรณ์ พระจุลจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว" (Somdet Phra Paramindra Maha Chulalongkorn Phra Chulachomklao Chaoyuhua). It is worth noting that the obverse of this medal is made in the same style as the one-baht silver coin issued in R.S. 95 (1876), but the royal portrait is much sharper, deeper and more beautiful. However, the lettering around the rim was engraved imperfectly. This is presumed to be because the die engraver was a foreigner who did not know Thai and because there was no proofreading step; he may simply have used the one-baht silver coin as a model for the design.
- Reverse
- The inscription around the rim reads "MINES DE KHAOTREE, GetT".
