An 1863 French Foreign Legion Battle of Camerón Commemorative Medal

Silver, obverse illustrating the Battle of Camarón, reverse inscribed in the centre "ILS FURENT ICI MOINS DE SOIXANTE OPPOSÉS A TOUTE UNE ARMEE SA MASSE LES ECRASA LA VIE PLUTOT QUE LA COURAGE ABANDONNA CES SOLDATS FRANCAIS 30 AVRIL 1863", flanked by laurel branches on either side, inscribed "LÉGION ÉTRANGÈRE" above and "CAMERONE" below, 39.5 mm, light contact, edge nicks, better than very fine. Footnote: The Battle of Camarón (French: Bataille de Camerone) which occurred over ten hours on April 30, 1863 between the French Foreign Legion and the Mexican Army, is regarded as a defining moment in the Foreign Legion's history. A small infantry patrol, led by Captain Jean Danjou and Lieutenants Clément Maudet and Jean Vilain, numbering just 65 men was attacked and besieged by a force that may have eventually reached 3,000 Mexican infantry and cavalry, and was forced to make a defensive stand at the nearby Hacienda Camarón, in Camarón de Tejeda, Veracruz, Mexico. The conduct of the Legion, who refused to surrender, led to a certain mystique: the Battle of Camarón became synonymous with bravery and a fight-to-the-death attitude.