History

The Medal was awarded to members of the French Guard who participated in the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. It was later abolished by the National Convention on November 18, 1793.

The Medal was reproduced on two other occasions. The Type II Medal was re-issued in 1832 to surviving veterans of the Storming of the Bastille. The Type III Medal issued in 1889 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille.

Type I Medals have ring suspensions, while Type II and Type III Medals have roller suspensions. Type II and Type III Medals also differ in composition.

The obverse inscription translates to “Liberty Won July 14 1789,” and the reverse inscription translates to “Were They Unaware That the Weapons Were Given Against Slavery?”

The Medal is translated from the French "La Medaille les Vainqueurs de la Bastille".

The composition of the Medal for the French Guard is uncertain.