A Chateau-Thierry Medal, in silvered bronze, with sash-like suspension inscribed ‘CHATEAU-THIERRY COTE 204’; the face with the head and shoulders portraits of the Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington, both facing RIGHT!, circumscribed ‘WASHINGTON’ on the left and ‘LAFAYETTE’ on the right, signed ‘GASTON LAVRILLIER’ (for the artist Gaston-Albert Lavrillier, 1885-1958), the reverse with a sun burst below the inscription ‘CHATEAU THIERRY 18 JUILLET 1918’, circumscribed above ‘LA VICTOIRE APPARAIT’ (Victory appeared).

This is a variation of the commonly know medal with both heads looking to the right. Reverse shows a sun burst rather than the burst with the French Legion of Honor embossed. Reverse with markings: BRONZE and MADE IN FRANCE.

The medal was instituted by the town of Château Thierry in 1920 to recognize the bravery of French and American soldiers who fought in the battle of Chateau Thierry on 18 July 1918. This was one of the earliest battles involving troops of the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing and ended in decisive Allied victory, giving the first indication that American forces would tip the balance and bring the war to a successful conclusion. Hill 204 referred to on the suspension was a crucial position taken by American forces. The medal is one of the earliest World War I veterans’ medals, one of the rarest and, because of its American connotations, one of the most sought-after.