Medal of Honour for the French Family
of the Ministry of Health,
1st version
(Médaille d’Honneur de la Famille Française du Ministère de l’Hygiene)
1920 issue
Bronze eight-pointed rayed star with shorter rays between the arms, on laterally-pierced ball suspension; the face with circular central medallion bearing a mother and child circumscribed ‘FAMILLE FRANÇAISE’, signed ‘DESCHAMPS LEON’; the reverse with a circular central medallion inscribed ‘LA PATRIE RECONNAISSANT’ (the Country Recognisant), circumscribed ‘REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE MINISTERE DE L’HYGIENE’ (French Republic, Ministry of Health), signed ‘LEON DESCHAMPS FECIT’; on original ribbon.
The Medal was instituted on 26 May 1920 soon after World War I in which France had suffered severe losses in order to encourage mothers to raise numerous children.
The bronze medal, as here, was awarded to mothers of five children. This is an early example; later issues were inscribed ‘Ministère de la Santé Publique, rather than ‘Ministère de l’Hygiene’.
