Silver medal

“ Moreover, between the years of 1854 and 1859 gold medals were presented to him by the rulers of Norway and Sweden, Prussia, the republic of Bremen, Holland, Austria, Sardinia, and France; and in addition a medal of honor was awarded him for his charts at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855, and only the year before the beginning of the Civil War the Pope sent him a set of thirteen beautiful silver medals. ”

“ For this heroic defence a silver medal was issued to every man taking part; it is 12⁄5 in. in diameter, and depends from a steel clip and bar, as in the medal illustrated facing page 96, and was suspended from the same kind of ribbon. On the obverse is an ornamental shield inscribed KELAT-I-GHILZIE, surrounded by a laurel wreath with a mural crown above. On the reverse is a military trophy, with a breast-plate and helmet forming the central feature, and "INVICTA MDCCCXLII" on an ornamental tablet underneath. The names of the recipients were all engraved, generally in script. ”

“ The cross is of white enamel resting on gold scrolls and bears at the center an iron crown. It is awarded to officers of high rank for services in war.
The Medal for Military Valor.—This medal of two classes, gold and silver, corresponds to the French Croix de Guerre, and is awarded to soldiers and sailors for conspicuous acts of gallantry in action in the presence of the enemy. The gold medal is very rarely bestowed except as an honor to the memory of a soldier or sailor who has lost his life in the execution of the deed which the medal commemorates. The ribbon is blue. ”

“ The medal in gold for General Morgan, and those in silver for Colonels Howard and Washington, were to be indicative of the several circumstances which attended the victory at the Cowpens on the 17th of January, 1781, in conformity to a special resolution of Congress.
It may not be foreign to the purpose to add that dies have formerly been engraved under the direction of Dr. Franklin, [20] for striking the gold medal for General Wayne, and the silver medals for Colonels de Fleury and Stewart, emblematic of their gallant conduct in storming the works of Stony Point, sword in hand. ”

“ It is the same with each and every boy, whether the medal is of gold, silver or bronze, whether he received it for swimming or rowing, for running or jumping, for feats of strength, like putting the shot or throwing the discus. What matter if it was for football or baseball, tennis or diving? It is a medal, given for merit, and as such appreciated by both winner and friends.
The most popular boy is awarded. The best all-around Camper is medalled. There is hardly an act of courage or endurance that is passed by without some recognition. Such an uproar as greets each new hero! ”

“ Elizabethan Naval Medals.—A silver medal, with an attached half-ring loop for suspension, was apparently given by Queen Elizabeth for naval achievements; it is oval, and bears on the obverse a bust of the Queen, and on the reverse a bay tree on an island, with the legend impressed thereon NON · IPSA · PERICVLA · TANGVNT. This is a splendidly decorative medal. The "Ark-in-Flood medal," though hardly so well designed or so delicately cut, is characteristic. ”

“ The medal reproduced here as No. 1, another German war prisoner medal, is a silver medal, of 37.67 grams, measuring forty-one millimeters in diameter. The obverse depicts the full figure of a German prisoner of war, dressed in his uniform, on which a sign PG (French: prisonnier de guerre) is visible. ”

“ But medals are scattered about wherever he has been.
“Yes, there are a hundred masters knocking about who boast of their distinctions: first-class workshop—you can see it for yourself— ‘a silver medal.’ But who did the work? Who got his day’s wages and an extra drop of drink and then—good-bye, Garibaldi! What has one to show for it, master? There are plenty of trees a man can change his clothes behind—but the shirt?” For a moment he seems dejected. “Lorrain in Paris gave me two hundred francs for the golden medal I won for him; but otherwise it was always—Look in my waistcoat pocket! ”

“ 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. ”

“ One thing is certain, our principle is not the same as yours; and it is excusable, when we do borrow from the continent, if we make a generous blunder in a science which we do not understand, and in the largeness of our heart, give medals to runaway Belgians, without remembering that the honour of the medal lies not in the silver, but in the action which the silver commemorates, and that, in truth, what we have given to the cowards who ran, we must have filched from the brave fellows who had earned for that medal its value. ”

“ Where only one medal of a kind is wanted, it seems an unthrifty way to form dies for it in steel to strike the two sides of it, the whole expense of the dies resting on that medal.
It was by this means that the medal voted by Congress for M. de Fleury cost one hundred guineas, when an engraving of the same figures and inscriptions might have been beautifully done on a plate of silver of the same size for two guineas.
The ancients, when they ordained a medal to record the memory of any laudable action, and do honour to the performer of that action, struck a vast number and used them as money. ”

“ On the obverse, in the centre, in high relief, in gold, is a Lion, statant gardant, with a gold border, on which is inscribed in gold letters, HESPEINA AGRADECIDA. The whole within the Collar of the Golden Fleece, in bronze, the pendant Lamb being in gold. On the reverse, also in relief, within a laurel wreath of gold, SAN SEBASTIAN 5 DE MAYO in gold, having in the centre of a gold circle, 1836 in gold. The Cross, similar to that on the circular silver medal, is 11⁄20 in. in diameter, with a gold loop and gold ring for suspension. ”

“ Atwot.—The bar inscribed ATWOT in English and Arabic was granted to all troops taking part, and the following non-combatants were entitled to the medal and bar in silver, who participated under the same conditions as the troops: Government Civil employees; engineers of steamers; Raises of steamers; Sheikhs; Armed Guides; whilst non-combatants, i.e. Civilian Syces of Officers, Civilian Servants of Officers, and Transport Drivers, were granted the medal in bronze without bar. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Many may still find, in some forgotten drawer, the medal bought by thousands and tens of thousands, of all classes, in copper, silver, or gold—distributed in charity-schools, and given by old people to their grandchildren. ”

“ In gold and silver the medal, 1·7 in. in diameter, bears on the reverse a representation of the bombardment, with LOVISBOVRG TAKEN MDCCLVII, and on the obverse a globe resting upon a figure symbolic of France (some say a fury) dropping fleur-de-lis, and pointing to boats at sea. On the globe, supported by a British Grenadier and a sailor, are the words CANADA and AMERICA, and above all the figure of Fame, with laurel wreath and trumpet flying in front of the Union Jack, and a scroll with the words PARITER IN BELLA; the ribbon for this is half brownish-yellow and light purple. ”

“ The medal, 11/8 in. in diameter, is purely a naval medal therefore, although a few artillery and engineer officers doing duty in the fleet received it. It was given in gold to officers of flag rank and captains (or field officers) , in silver to quarter-deck and warrant officers, and in copper to other ranks. This is the only instance of there being a difference made according to the rank of the recipient since the “Burma” medal.
4. China, 1840–42 (1st Medal) ; China, 1857–60 (2nd Medal) .—Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1842, 1861. Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria, diademed, l. Leg. ”

“ The decoration consisted of a striking oval badge: the edge was a silver oak wreath, whilst the royal cypher and crown, in outline, filled the centre. A green ribbon was provided with a silver bar flanking its topmost edge.
Two years after the officers' decoration received sanction a similar award, known as the "Volunteer Long Service Medal," was provided primarily for the men. ”

“ In the case of the Greek coin a bean-shaped piece, or a disk, of plain metal, usually of silver, called a ‘blank’ or ‘flan,’ was placed between the two dies and pressed into their hollows by a blow or blows of the hammer, so that all that was engraved on them in intaglio came out on the silver in relief. Vasari’s process is more elaborate. A sort of trial medal is first struck from the matrices in a soft material such as lead or wax, and this trial medal is reproduced by the ordinary process of casting in the gold or silver or bronze which is to be the material of the final medal. ”

“ Every foreigner makes purchases at the French mint; and the series of national medals executed there is a public honour and a public profit too. But whoever thinks of purchasing English mintage except for bullion?—With a history full of the most stirring events, we have not a single medallic series—we have scarcely a single medal. But we have in lieu of those vanities a master of the mint, who is tost new into the office on every change of party, who has probably in the whole course of his life never known the difference between gold and silver but by their value in sovereigns and shillings ”

“ What do you want the Gold Medal for?”
“He’s crazy, don’t you listen to him!” Pee-wee shouted at Dub. “You win the life-saving badge by rules and you win the Gold Medal by being a hero. And if you get the Gold Medal, that doesn’t give you the life-saving badge.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ I was for giving the gold medalists, who only wanted certificates, bronze medals; and of one young girl who was in her first year and only entitled to a bronze medal, I said: "Oh, she must have the gold medal, of course!"
She was a queer-looking child, handsome, with a face suggesting all manner of possibilities. When she stood up to read the speech from "Richard II." she was nervous, but courageously stood her ground. She began slowly, and with a most "fetching" voice, to think out the words. ”

“ The standard of merit deserving that reward is essentially the same in all the armies of the civilized world, and the medal is made of iron or bronze, instead of anything more glittering or precious, to indicate the character of the deed it commemorates. ”

“ Supreme Commander Robert Gordon, Comrade and Friend: I now have the greatest honor that has ever been conferred upon any man,—that of presenting to you the highest medal that the United States can confer. This medal is emblematic of your great work and the duty and loyalty you have shown to your country. It is made of gold with a triple triangle in the three royal colors, purple, blue and gold. The words in the center of the triangle are 'I am God-Love.' Around the triangle are the words, Faith, Hope and Love. ”

“ The medal—as it is understood to-day—enjoys a life entirely independent of the coin on the one hand, and, on the other, of the sculptured medallion, or bas-relief; and its renaissance is one of the chief phenomena in art during the period since about 1870. It is in France that it has risen to the greatest perfection. ”

“ To the native commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers, sergeants, bandsmen, and trumpeters of European corps, and to others who might be ranked as non-commissioned officers, the bronze medal was also granted, while the tin medals were given to corporals, gunners, and European privates, and to native doctors, guides, and general-utility men with the Army. ”

“ Satiric medals were almost unknown to the ancient mint, notwithstanding those of the Saturnalia, and a few which bear miserable puns on the unlucky names of some consuls. Medals illustrate history, and history reflects light on medals; but we should not place such unreserved confidence on medals as their advocates, who are warm in their favourite study. It has been asserted that medals are more authentic memorials than history itself; but a medal is not less susceptible of the bad passions than a pamphlet or an epigram. Ambition has its vanity, and engraves a dubious victory ”

“ In general.—Following the award of the gold medal in honor of the 369th Infantry Regiment, the “Harlem Hellfighters”, the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as appropriate and made available for research. ”

“ As soon as done, be pleased (p. 120) to forward them by a safe hand to the Marquis de la Luzerne, in the name of the President of the United States, informing him that it is the one spoken of in my letter to him of April 30th, 1790. Say nothing to anybody of the value of the present, because that will not always be the same in all cases. Be so good as to have a second medal of gold struck in the same die, and to send this second, together with the dies, to Philadelphia by the first safe person who shall be passing. ”