Date
Instituted: 1856.
Campaign: Baltic Sea 1854-55.
Description: Sanctioned in April 1856
the obverse of this medal shows the diademed head of Queen Victoria
with the inscription ‘VICTORIA REGINA’. The reverse depicts
the seated figure of Britannia holding a trident in her right hand
while she is looking towards her left. On her seat is a cannon
and set of cannon balls behind which are two crossed flags surmounted
by a crown. In the background is the fortress of Bomarsund
to Britannia’s left and the fort of Sveaborg to her right.
Above is the word BALTIC with the dates 1854-1855 and the makers
name L. C. Wyon in the exergue below. The medal was fitted
with a scroll type swivelling suspender sweated to the medal.
Metal: Silver.
Size: 36mm.
Clasps: None authorised for this medal.
| Ribbon: |
 |
Naming: Issued
un-named except for those awarded to the Royal Sappers and Miners
which are found impressed in the style of the Military General Service Medal.
Privately named examples are also encountered.
Comments: This medal was almost
exclusively issued to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Only
about 100 were issued to the Royal Sappers and Miners, which are
considered highly collectable, and the collector should take great
care to verify such medals when encountered. The medal was
struck in two different thicknesses.
|
