Date
Instituted: 1851.
Campaign: India 1803-26.
Description: The obverse of this medal bears the head of Queen Victoria
with the inscription 'VICTORIA REGINA' while the reverse depicts
the seated figure of Victory beside a palm tree holding a wreath
in one hand and a laurel crown in the other. The swivelling suspender is of
the ornate scroll type.
Metal: Silver.
Size: 35mm.
Clasps: 'ALLIGHUR', 'BATTLE OF DELHI', 'ASSYE', 'ASSEERGHUR', 'LASWARREE',
'ARGAUM', 'GAWILGHUR', ''DEFENCE OF DELHI', 'BATTLE OF DEIG', 'CAPTURE
OF DEIG', 'NEPAUL', 'KIRKEE', 'POONA', 'KIRKEE AND POONA', 'SEETABULDEE',
'NAGPORE', 'SEETABULDEE AND NAGPORE', 'MAHEIDPOOR', 'CORYGAUM',
'AVA' and 'BHURTPOOR'.
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Naming: Impressed
captial letters.
Comments: This medal was authorised in 1851 for veterans of the numerous battles
in India and Burma fought between 1803 and 1826 (despite the reverse of
the medal being dated 1799-1826). Those entitled to this medal had to claim
it in a similar manner to those entitled to the Naval and Military General Service
Medals. As a result of the passage of time many veterans had since
died and so the numbers of these medals in relation to those who
would have been entitled to them is rather small making this medal
somewhat rare.
There are several variations of this medal encountered. The first has a long hyphen between the dates 1799-1826 while the second has a shorter hyphen. This is due to two separate dies being cut and used for the reverse.
Recipients
of this medal included both Imperial and Honorable East India Company
troops and only 4,500 were awarded.
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