Kingdom of Cambodia 1st Class Gold Medal of the Reign of Norodom I

Very good condition, with some wear and age toning of the gilt finish and some soiling of the ribbon. The medal was awarded for service to the person of the king. King Norodom I reigned from 1864 to 1904. The 'Medals of the Reign' were instituted only for the period of the individual monarch, and lapsed thus at the end of his reign. This first Reign medal, of Norodom I, has both a western crown and western script, along with a suspension from a Western style crown. This was changed with the subsequent Reign medals to the traditional Khmer crown as the suspension to the medal, and to Khmer script on the obverse.