Circular silvered bronze medal with loop for ribbon suspension; the face inscribed ‘TERREMOTO SAN JUAN Y RIOJA’ (Earthquake of San Juan and Rioja); the reverse inscribed ‘OBOLO 3 NOVIEMBRE 1894’ (Assistance 3 November 1894); the suspension ring replaced; on a recent ribbon in the Argentine national colours. San Juan and Rioja are provinces in the north-west of Argentina bordering Chile and the Andes mountains. In October 1894 an earthquake of magnitude 8, the strongest in Argentina since records began, with its epicentre in the San Juan, hit the entire region. It was felt over an area of 3,000 square km. (1,150 square miles) and, as a result, became known as ‘the Argentine earthquake’. It caused serious damage and some casualties in San Juan and Rioja provinces and also in the provinces of Catamarca, Cordoba, San Luis and Mendoza. Although of great force and widely felt, the loss of life was much less than the catastrophic earthquake of 15 January 1944. The word ‘obolo’ is best translated as ‘oblation’ and the medal would have been awarded to those offering charitable and other assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake.
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