Henry Lawrence Swinburne and Charles Francis Atkinson

“ The principal military decoration of the United States is the “Medal of Honor,” which was founded for the reward of unusual bravery or special good conduct during the Civil War. In its present form it is a five-pointed star, with a medallion in the centre bearing a head of Minerva and round it UNITED STATES OF AMERICA in relief. On each ray of the star is an oak-leaf, and the points themselves are trefoil shaped. A laurel wreath, in green enamel, encircles the whole, and this wreath is surmounted by VALOR, which in turn is surmounted by an eagle that attaches the decoration to its ribbon. ”

“ In England, although the Royal Academy seeks to encourage its students to practise the art, the prize it offers commonly induces no competition. The art of the medallist is not properly appreciated or understood, and receives little or no support. The prevailing notion concerning it is that it consists in stamping cheap tokens out of white metal or bronze, on which a design, more or less vulgar, stands out in frosty relief from a dazzling, glittering background. ”

“ These works, even the majority of military and civic medals, demonstrate how the exquisite art of the Renaissance had been degraded in England—almost without protest or even recognition—so that they are, to a work of Roty or Chaplain, what a nameless daub would be to a picture by Rembrandt or Velasquez. ”

“ Here it may be noted that in following the history of medals as used as a decoration to reward military services, only those of British origin need be dealt with in detail, since Great Britain has utilized them in a much greater degree than any other nationality. The countless minor wars of the 19th century, waged by the forces of the Crown of every class, navy, army and auxiliary, have no equivalent in the history of other states, even in that of France, the United States and Russia. ”

“ In a Minute by Lord Dalhousie, the governor-general, December 9, 1852, it had been suggested “whether it would not be better for the future, instead of issuing a separate Medal for each campaign, to have one Medal, such as the ‘Indian Medal’ (i.e. the ‘India, 1851’ Medal) , which should be issued once to each individual entitled: the particular service for which it is granted being recorded upon a Bar, and every subsequent service which may be thought to deserve distinction being recorded by an additional Bar. ”

“ Certain important medals and decorations for saving life are not the gift of the Crown. These are allowed to be worn in uniform on the right breast. They are the medals of the Royal Humane Society, those given by the Board of Trade for gallantry in saving life at sea, the medals of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, those of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society, Lloyd’s Honorary Silver Medal, Liverpool Shipwrecked and Humane Society’s Medals, and the Stanhope Gold Medal. ”

“ From that advanced model a simple mould, or matrix, is made, and a plaster cast is taken, whereupon the artist can complete his work in the utmost perfection. Then, if a struck medal is required, a steel cast is made, and from that a reduction to the size required for the final work is produced by means of the machine—the tour à réduire. It is this machine which has made possible the modern revival, and has revolutionized the taste of designers and public alike. ”

“ The medallists of those days always cast in bronze or lead, and only proceeded to use silver and gold as a luxurious taste began to demand the more precious metals. There is little doubt that the material to be preferred is dull silver (mat or sablé—sand-blasted) , as the work, with all its variations of light and shade, can be better seen in the delicate grey of the surface. ”

“ I recommend that we should all have the same medal, hung to the same ribband as that now used with the medals.”
(i.e. the army gold medals and crosses) . It is also fair to point out that in his place in the House of Commons, and on the day after the duke’s letter to the commander-in-chief had been penned, William Watkins Wynn urged that medals should be given to the survivors of Waterloo, and that they should be the same for both officers and men, “so that they who had been fellows in danger might bear the same badge of honour.” ”

“ Although the striking of medals to commemorate important events is a practice of considerable antiquity, yet the custom of using the medal as a decoration, and especially as a decoration to do honour to those who have rendered service to the state
in time of war, is comparatively modern. ”

“ Medal, in gold or silver, is awarded for bravery in saving life by land or sea.
Other Countries.—As has been mentioned above, foreign decorations for military service usually take the form of Orders in many classes. There are, however, numerous long service decorations, which need not be specified. The most famous of the European war and service decorations are the Prussian Iron Cross, the French Médaille Militaire, and the Russian St George’s Cross; all these are individual decorations.
The Iron Cross is given to officers and soldiers for distinguished service in War. ”

“ GEORGIUS TERTIUS REX. Reverse: Britannia casting a spear with her right hand, and on her left arm the Union shield, above, and approaching her is a Flying Victory holding out a wreath. In front of Britannia in four lines, is MAI/DA/IVL IV/MDCCCVI/; behind her the triquetra or trinacria, the symbol of the Island of Sicily. In the exergue are crossed spears.
Two and a half years after the Maida award the king authorized the “Army Gold Medal,” the first grant of which was notified by the commander-in-chief, in a Horse Guards general order dated the 9th of September 1810. ”

“ Non-enlisted men, of whatever nationality, who drew military pay, were awarded the medal in bronze instead of silver and without clasps. Militia units which volunteered and were sent to Mediterranean stations to release the regulars for field service were awarded (Feb. 1902) the medal without clasp, “Mediterranean” being substituted for “South Africa” on the reverse. This was not, of course, issued to any one entitled to the Queen’s Medal for South Africa. ”

“ Ribbon: Dark blue, with red edges. This decoration is to be obtained only by a “conspicuous act of individual gallantry” in the field or in the attack or defence of fortified places. It is open to all native officers or soldiers of the Indian Army, “without distinction of rank or grade.” The 3rd Class is bestowed for the first act of gallantry for which the recipient is recommended. The 2nd Class is given only to those who possess the third, and for a second act of conspicuous gallantry. The 1st Class is given only to those who hold the 2nd, and for a third act of bravery. ”

“ Royal Warrant, 7th of February 1881, authorized award of clasps for subsequent acts of gallantry.
“Individual acts of distinguished conduct in the field in any part of the world” entitle to this medal, and only non-commissioned officers and men of the British forces are eligible for the award. Prior to its institution, distinguished gallantry was rewarded by the “Meritorious Service” medal. Single clasps have been constantly conferred, and there is more than one case of a recipient having earned two clasps to his medal. ”

“ Medal is interesting from the fact that its reverse was copied on other medals, this making it, in a sense, a “general service” medal. On the obverse is a mounted Indian in war costume bearing a spear, in the upper part of the exergue INDIAN WARS, in the lower a buffalo’s skull with arrow-heads on either side. What we have called the “general service” design on the reverse is composed of (a) an eagle perched on a cannon, supported by five standards (typifying the five great wars of the United States) , rifles, Indian shield, spear and arrows, Filipino dagger and Cuban machete ”

“ A well-served medallist, therefore, need trouble himself nowadays about little beyond the primary modelling and the final result, correcting with his own hand only the slightest touches—refining, perfecting—but sometimes merely confining himself to giving his directions to the professional engraver. ”

“ Obverse: Britannia seated on a globe, holding in her right hand a laurel wreath, and in her left, which rests upon a Union shield resting against the globe, a palm leaf; at her feet to her right, a lion. Reverse: A wreath of laurel, encircling the name of the battle or operations for which the medal was granted. ”

“ Its popularity there is well-nigh universal; it is esteemed not only for memorials of popular events and of public men, but also for private celebrations of all kinds. No other nation approaches in excellence—in artistic feeling, treatment, and sensitiveness of execution—the artists and the achievements of France. ”

“ To Ponscarme (pupil of Oudiné) is chiefly due the idea of rendering mat the ground as well as the subject on the medal, the suppression of the raised rim, and the abandonment of the typographic lettering hitherto in vogue, together with the mechanical regularity of its arrangement. Degeorge, with his semi-pictorial treatment, was followed by Daniel Dupuis, whose delicate and playful fancy, almost entirely pictorial, makes us forget alike the material and the die. ”

“ In spite of this request Cromwell’s “Effigies” is made the prominent feature of the obverse of the medal, to which the representation of the “Army” is entirely subordinated. His wish that the “word” for the day should be commemorated is, however, observed in the legend on the obverse, as is also, on the reverse, his suggestion that on one side of the medal there should be a representation of the parliament. ”

“ As the “Burma” medal had already been given to the Company’s native officers and soldiers for the First Burmese War, on y the European officers and men of the Company’s service received the medal with “Ava” clasp; but as the “Nepaul” medal had not been given to all the native troops who actually served “within the hills,” the medal with clasp ”Nepaul” was granted to those native troops who had not received the Nepaul medal, as well as to all the Company’s European officers and men. ”

“ The Militia Long Service Medal (1904) has a light blue ribbon, the Imperial Yeomanry Long Service Medal a yellow ribbon, the Honourable Artillery Company’s Medal a black, red and yellow ribbon. All these are shown on Plate II. [25]
11. The Medal for the Best Shot in the Army was instituted in 1869 Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria (now effigy of King Edward VII.) . Reverse: A winged Victory crowning a warrior. Ribbon: Red, with two narrow black stripes on each edge, the two black stripes being divided by a narrow white one. ”

“ A Maltese Cross, 11/2 inches square, with an ornamental border; in the centre, a lion, facing right; in each limb of the cross the name of one of the actions for which it was conferred. The back of the cross is the same as the front. The cross was precisely the same irrespective of whether it replaced a large or a small medal.
The clasps were all of the same pattern, whether worn with the cross, the large gold medal, or the small gold medal. They are 2 in. in length by 1/2 in. in width, and bear, within a border of laurel, the name of the action for which they were conferred. ”

“ The remarkable architectural series by the first-named, and the coinage of the second, have little affinity with the spirit of the modern medal. Lemaire has perhaps done as well as any, followed by Paul Dubois, J. Dillens (a follower of the French) , G. Devreese and Vinçotte (see Plate) —whose plaquette for the Brussels Exhibition award (1887) is original, but more admirable in design than in finish.
Holland.—In Holland not very much has been done. Patriotism has called forth many medals of Queen Wilhelmina, and the best of them are doubtless those of Bart van Hove and Wortman. ”

“ It is thus that the art, while offering easy means of permanent memorial, has afforded to men of restricted means the eagerly seized opportunity of forming small collections of masterpieces of art at a small outlay. ”

“ In all 20,000 medals were struck. The medal is smaller than the usual, 11/4in. in diameter, and it is surmounted by an Imperial Crown, and a large silver ring for suspension. It is altogether an unusual type of medal, and in the use of an indented border it follows a very old precedent, that of a medal commemorating the victory of Valens over Procopius, A. D. 365. (See Les Médaillons de l’empire romain, by W. Froehner, Paris, 1878) . The artists responsible for this medal are Joseph S. Wyon and Alfred B. Wyon, and this bust of the queen is reproduced on only one other medal, the New Zealand. ”

“ East India Company the award was withheld from the British officers and men employed. Again in none of the cases quoted were the awards made by the Crown. The “Dunbar” medal was awarded by the Commonwealth parliament. The men of the Nile and Trafalgar wore their medals through the generosity of private individuals. In the other nine cases the award was made by the directors of the Hon. East India Company. It was with the issue of the Waterloo Medal that all this was changed and for this well-merited and much prized boon the Services owe all gratitude to the duke of Wellington. ”

“ This medal, awarded to both Services, was first notified by a commander-in-chief’s G.O., dated December 15, 1854. The grant was limited to all troops landing in the Crimea up to September 9, 1855—the day on which Sevastopol fell—“unless they shall have been engaged after that date in some expedition or operation against the enemy.” This latter proviso applied in the main to the naval clasp “AZOFF,” the period for which award was extended to the 22nd of November. The clasps for this medal are very ornamental, being in the shape of oak leaves, ornamented with acorns. ”