France: Philippe Duc D'Orleans / anti-Dreyfus medal, 1900; struck in brass (silvered); designer ...

France: Philippe Duc D'Orleans / anti-Dreyfus medal, 1900; struck in brass (silvered); designer unknown (unmarked); 30.5mm, 8g: obverse bears left facing bust of Philippe VIII and general legend in French around; reverse, text in center and around edge (in capital letters): "Je replacerai mon pays au premier rang des nations avec le concours de tous les vrais Francais / Je ne vengerai que les injures faites a la patrie * Philippe *" ("I will put my country at the forefront of nations with the support of all true French / I do not avenge the insult to the country"). In VF+/EF (lack of detail probably due more to weak strike than to actual wear). Philippe Duke of Orleans (1869-1926) was an English-born Orleanist claimant to the French throne as Philippe VIII from 1894-1926. An avid expeditioner, he saw in holding the title to the thrown a way of financing his hobby and veered towards the Royalist faction in France to secure his legitimacy to and position on the thrown. The "Dreyfus Affair" which erupted the same year Philippe acended the thrown tainted the positions of conservative and liberal factions in France and saw the Royalists and Philippe, take an anti-Dreyfus and even anti-Semitic stance on the affair which lasted up to 1906 and even further on. This medal was issued a few times in 1899 and 1900 both to legitimize Philippe's claim to the thrown as well as to echo his conservative credentials through references to the Dreyfus Affair ("support of all True Frenchmen / insult to the country").