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Category: Pre-WW1 Medals

The British Legion Medal

The British Legion Medal was a British Empire campaign medal instituted in 1836 and presented for service in Spain during the First Carlist War, a civil war that was fought in Spain between 1833 and 1839.

The medal was awarded to all those who volunteered and subsequently served in Spain with the British Auxiliary Legion. It was issued un-named. The British Auxiliary Legion was commanded by General Sir George De Lacey Evans (1787-1870) and volunteered for service in Spain in support of Isabella II who, at the age of three, succeeded her father as a monarch. Her uncle, Don Carlos, opposed this and triggered off a war that lasted until 1840. The war was largely fought in the Northern provinces.

The British Legion Medal Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver or white metal and measures 36 mm in diameter.

The obverse bears a Cross Pattée with the central inscription ‘TUJO’, alluding to the battle at Laguna del Tujo, surrounded by a laurel leaf. The reverse depicts a British lion at the center surrounded by a cordon of the Golden Fleece. The inscription; ‘ESPANA’ is above and ‘AGRADECIDA’ below meaning ‘Grateful Spain’.

The ribbon is broad blue with narrow yellow stripes towards the edges. The medal is fitted with a ring for suspension from a double-looped bar and has a brooch fitment at the top of the ribbon.

The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal

The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal, instituted in 1816, was awarded for participation n the Napoleonic Wars against France.

The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal was instituted in 1816 by Duke August von Sachsen-Gotha und Altenburg and awarded for participation n the Napoleonic Wars against France in 1814-1815.

The medal was established in different versions for officers, for non-commissioned officers and for other ranks. A reduced-size version for officers was also created. Gilded medals were issued to officers, NCOs received bronze medals with gilt raised points and other ranks a bronze version.

The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal Design

The medal is struck in gilt bronze or bronze and measures 42 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows a crown with the legend “IM KAMPFE FUER DAS RECHT” (translated to “In the struggle for the right”). The reverse bears an ornate rose motif with the name of the duchy and the dates of the campaign in roman numerals. 

The ribbon is green with black edges and gold stripes.

The Different Waterloo Medals

The Waterloo medal was issued by the British Government to all soldiers present during action. Seven nations of the Seventh Coalition struck differently designed medals for soldiers who took part in the campaign. These are:

The Waterloo Medal - British Medals Pre-WW1

The Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a British military medal established in 1816-17 and struck for all those who participated in the Waterloo campaign.

British Campaign Medals: The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was a campaign medal awarded to those who participated in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

British Campaign Medals: The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal was issued to all members of the Hanoverian army who fought in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

British Campaign Medals: The Nassau Medal for Waterloo

The Nassau Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a campaign of the Duchy of Nassau established by Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau on 23 December 1815.

Where to Find Waterloo Medals

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The Nassau Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a campaign of the Duchy of Nassau established by Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau on 23 December 1815.

The Waterloo Medal is a campaign of the Duchy of Nassau established by Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau on 23 December 1815.

The Duchy of Nassau was an independent state between 1806 and 1866 and was located in what is now the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. Its ruling dynasty, now extinct, was the House of Nassau. On 17 July 1806, the remaining counties of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg joined the Confederation of the Rhine.

For the Waterloo Campaign the Duke brought a force of 7,400 into the field, many of whom were seasoned veterans from the French armies of the Peninsular War.

The Nassau Waterloo Medal Design

The medal is struck in silver and measures 28 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows Duke Friedrich of Nassau, and the reverse bears the winged figure of Victory crowning a soldier with laurels. The exergue has inscribed the date of the action. 

The ribbon is dark blue edged in yellow.

The Different Waterloo Medals

The Waterloo medal was issued by the British Government to all soldiers present during action. Seven nations of the Seventh Coalition struck differently designed medals for soldiers who took part in the campaign. These are:

The Waterloo Medal - British Medals Pre-WW1

The Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a British military medal established in 1816-17 and struck for all those who participated in the Waterloo campaign.

British Campaign Medals: The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was a campaign medal awarded to those who participated in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

British Campaign Medals: The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal was issued to all members of the Hanoverian army who fought in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

Where to Find Waterloo Medals

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The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal was issued to all members of the Hanoverian army who fought in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal was a British Campaign issued to all members of the Hanoverian army who fought in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo 16–18 June 1815.

The Hanoverian troops, excluding those of the King’s German Legion, present on the 16, 17 and 18 June at Battle of Quatre Bras and Waterloo, under the command of General Charles Alten, amounted to almost 16,900 men, equivalent to 18% of Wellington‘s Allied Army.

This medal was founded by George, the Prince Regent in December 1817, and was awarded to every soldier who was present in the Hanoverian army at the Battle of Waterloo.

The medal remained the property of the soldier, and if he left the military service, he was still allowed to wear it. It could not, however, under any circumstances, be transferred from one soldier to another (after the death of the first recipient, it was ordered that it should remain in his family as an heirloom).

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal Design

The medal is struck in silver and measures 35 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows a profile and laureate head of the Prince Regent to the right, with the legend “GEORG. PRINZ. REGENT, 1815” around it. The reverse bears two branches of laurel and a breastplate, with two spears and two colors crossed on either side. Underneath is the date “WATERLOO JUN. XVIII.” and, above, in Roman letters, “HANNOVER SCHER TAPFERKEIT“. Round the rim is inscribed the soldier’s name, regiment, etc.

The ribbon is maroon edged with light blue.

The Different Waterloo Medals

The Waterloo medal was issued by the British Government to all soldiers present during action. Seven nations of the Seventh Coalition struck differently designed medals for soldiers who took part in the campaign. These are:

The Waterloo Medal - British Medals Pre-WW1

The Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a British military medal established in 1816-17 and struck for all those who participated in the Waterloo campaign.

British Campaign Medals: The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was a campaign medal awarded to those who participated in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

British Campaign Medals: The Nassau Medal for Waterloo

The Nassau Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a campaign of the Duchy of Nassau established by Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau on 23 December 1815.

Where to Find Waterloo Medals

Right Now on eBay 
Clicking a link to eBay may result in a referral commission being paid if a purchase is made.
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The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was a campaign medal awarded to those who participated in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was a campaign medal of the Duchy of Brunswick, a historical German state established by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The medal was awarded to troops and officers from Brunswick who participated in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was authorized by the Prince Regent.

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal Design

The medal is struck in bronze from captured French cannons and measures 35 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows, in a left-facing profile, the fallen Duke of Brunswick, Frederick William. Around the edge is the inscription, in German Script, “FRIEDRICH WILHELM HERZOG”. The reverse bears the date 1815 in the center, surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurels. Around the outside of the wreath is the inscription, “Braunschweig Seinen Kriegern” (or “Brunswick to her Warriors”) and “Quatrebras und Waterloo” below.

The ribbon measures 1 1⁄2 inches (38 mm) wide, and is yellow with blue edge stripes 3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm) wide. The medal is suspended from a steel clip and ring.

The Different Waterloo Medals

The Waterloo medal was issued by the British Government to all soldiers present during action. Seven nations of the Seventh Coalition struck differently designed medals for soldiers who took part in the campaign. These are:

The Waterloo Medal - British Medals Pre-WW1

The Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a British military medal established in 1816-17 and struck for all those who participated in the Waterloo campaign.

British Campaign Medals: The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal was issued to all members of the Hanoverian army who fought in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

British Campaign Medals: The Nassau Medal for Waterloo

The Nassau Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a campaign of the Duchy of Nassau established by Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau on 23 December 1815.

Where to Find Waterloo Medals

Right Now on eBay 
Clicking a link to eBay may result in a referral commission being paid if a purchase is made.
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The Army Gold Medal

The Army Gold Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to field and general officers in recognition of successful commands in campaigns.

The Army Gold Medal, also known as the Peninsular Gold Medal, was a British campaign medal awarded to field and general officers in recognition of successful commands in campaigns, predominantly the Peninsular War (1807–1814). The medal was issued only to officers whose status was no less than that of battalion commander or equivalent.

The Peninsular War was a military conflict fought by Bourbon Spain and Portugal, assisted by Great Britain, against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war on the peninsula lasted until the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in 1814, and is regarded as one of the first wars of national liberation, significant for the emergence of large-scale guerrilla warfare.

Naval Gold Medals had been awarded since 1794 to captains and admirals who had served in specified successful naval actions. The Army Gold Medal was established in 1810 to reward service at Napoleonic War battles since 1808. Like the Maida Gold Medal, it was awarded only to majors and above and, like the Naval Gold Medal, it was awarded in two sizes, with the larger to senior officers. In October 1813, to prevent a proliferation of awards to one recipient, an order was created instructing that only one medal be worn.

The award could be awarded posthumously, and sent to the officer’s family.

The Army Gold Medal Design

The medal is struck in gold and measures 54 mm and 33 mm in diameter.

Large Gold Medal

The Large Gold Medal, restricted to general officers, was designed by Thomas Wyon. It was mounted in a gold frame, and glazed on both sides. The obverse shows Britannia with a shield, seated and facing left and holding a laurel wreath in her right hand and a palm branch in her left. Behind her is the head of a lion. The reverse shows a laurel wreath, with the name of the battle engraved in the center, although that for Barrosa was die struck. The large medal was worn around the neck.

Small Gold Medal

The Small Gold Medal, awarded to officers between the rank of major and colonel. was mounted in a gold frame and glazed, and had the same design as the large medal. It was worn on the left chest, often from a buttonhole, with the ribbon attached via a wide curved suspender.

Gold (or Peninsular) Cross

The Gold (or Peninsular) Cross, awarded to those who earned four or more gold medals. It is an ornamental cross pattée with a proud lion at its center and the four qualifying actions embossed on its arms. The obverse and reverse are the same. The medal was worn around the neck with the ribbon attached via an ornate loop.

The ribbon for all the awards was broad crimson with blue borders and measured 1.75 inches (44 mm) wide.

The Maida Gold Medal

The Battle of Maida Medal was established in 1806 and awarded to the thirteen senior officers involved in the battle of Maida. Only an unknown number of gold and silver specimens are known to exist.

The Battle of Maida was fought on 4 July 1806 was a battle between the British expeditionary force under General Sir John Stuart and a much larger French force outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. Sir John Stuart’s forces numbered about 4,500, while Marshal Reynier’s force consisted of more than 6,000. French casualties were heavy, estimated to be in excess of 2,000, while those of the British were limited to less than 400.

The Battle of Maida was the British Army’s first victory since the beginning of the French Revolution on mainland Europe. It shattered Napoleon’s aura of invincibility, created by his outstanding victories such as Marengo and Austerlitz. It also proved to the Duke of Wellington, who received a report on the battle, that British lines could beat French columns.

The Maida Gold Medal Design

The medal is struck in gold and measures 39 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows the laureated profile of George III. The reverse bears the winged figure of Victory hovering with a laurel wreath over the head of Britannia. Britannia has her shield upraised and is in the act of throwing a spear. The name and date of the battle appear on her left, with the trinacria or three-legged emblem on the right.

The ribbon measures 38mm wide and is crimson edged with navy blue.

The Imperial Order of Elizabeth (Austria)

The Imperial Austrian Order of Elizabeth was an order created for women in 1898 by Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary.

The Imperial Austrian Order of Elizabeth (or Kaiserlich österreichischer Elizabeth-Orden in German) was an order created for women in 1898 by Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary.

The order was the namesake of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary, but it was created to honor and memorialize Franz Joseph’s late wife, Empress-Queen Elisabeth. She spent her life giving alms to the poor and sick. After her husband’s death, she gave away the vast majority of his estate to build hospitals and to aid in the relief of her starving subjects and was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1235. She is considered the patron saint of bakers, beggars, and charities.

The insignia of the order was to be returned to the state upon the death of the member, or upon the advancement from a lower degree to a higher degree.

The order was divided into three classes:

  • Grand Cross.
  • First Class.
  • Second class.

There were 81 awards of the Grand Cross, 332 awards of the I Degree, 500 awards of the II Degree, and 208 awards of the Elizabeth Medal for merit, between 1898 and 1918 when the Order was disbanded with the collapse of the monarchy.

An Elizabeth Medal for civil merit also existed.

The Order only existed until the end of the monarchy in 1918.

The Order of Elizabeth Design

The order’s badge is a silver Latin cross consisting of red and white enamels, with roses between the arms of the cross. The obverse bears a central white enameled medallion with a rightward facing bust of Elisabeth in gold. The reverse has a central white enameled medallion with a golden royal cipher of Elisabeth and fine hand-engraved detailing.

The ribbon is white and pink and measures 48.57 mm side by 52.40 mm high.

The Imperial Order of Elizabeth and Theresa

The Imperial and Royal Decoration of Elizabeth and Theresa was a decoration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, created in Vienna in 1750.

The Imperial and Royal Decoration of Elizabeth and Theresa (or Elisabeth-Theresien-Orden in German) was a decoration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, created in Vienna in 1750 by Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, widow of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, in her testament, to reward the deserving officers who distinguished in battles.

The number of awarded officers reached hardly 20 originally. Those had to serve faithfully in the army of the House of Austria for 30 years and have reached at least the rank of colonel, and had to be inscribed in the Court Council of War, but without distinction of fatherland, birth, or religion. The Order only has one rank: Knight.

The Order was granted with 16,000 florins of annuity to be divided among the recipients. There were originally three grades of annuity: 1000, 800, and 500 florins.

The Imperial and Royal Decoration of Elizabeth and Theresa was revised in 1771 by her daughter Empress Maria Theresa I, as the Elizabetho-Theresian Military Foundation (Elisabeth-Theresianische Militärstiftung). The yearly pension amount was reviewed and the number of maximum members was settled in 21.

The Order was canceled by the Austrian Republic in 1918.

The Order of Elizabeth and Theresa Design

The decoration consists of a star of gold with eight triangles enameled in half-red, half-silver and supported by the imperial crown. It’s charged with an oval shield in the heart with the initials of the two empresses (“ECMT” for Elizabeth Christine Maria Theresa), all topped by a crown, surrounded by the legend: “MARIA THERESIA PARENTIS GRATIAM perennem VOLUIT”.

The ribbon of the Order is black. The decoration was hanging from a triangular knot of that black ribbon on the left chest.

The Order of the Starry Cross

The Order of the Starry Cross (Sternkreuz-Orden) is an imperial Austrian dynastic order founded in 1668 and awarded to Catholic noble ladies.

The Order of the Starry Cross (or Sternkreuz-Orden in German) is an imperial Austrian dynastic order founded in 1668 and awarded to Catholic noble ladies. Only high-born ladies could be invested with the Order, including princesses, countesses, and other high nobility. Once invested, members were to “devote themselves to the service and worship of the Holy Cross, and to lead a virtuous life in the exercise of religion and works of charity.”

The Order was founded in 1668 by Eleonora Gonzaga of Mantua, dowager empress of the Holy Roman Empire and confirmed by Pope Clement IX on 28 June 1668, who placed it under the spiritual management of the Prince-Bishop of Vienna.

According to legend, the Habsburg dynasty owned a piece of the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified. In the aftermath of a fire at the Hofburg on 2 February 1668 the relic was discovered in near-perfect condition. The dowager empress founded the Order in celebration that the relic had survived the fire, believing it to be a true miracle.

The order still exists under the House of Habsburg, though the Austrian Empire no longer exists. It was conceived with only one class.

The Order of the Starry Cross Design

Members of the Order wore en insignia consisting of an oval medallion, with a broad blue enameled border, inclosing a black enameled Eagle with two heads and claws. On it lies a Gold Cross, enameled green, and bordered with brown wood. Over this, on an entwined wreath in black letters, on a white ground, is the motto of the Order, “Salue et Gloria” (“Hail and Glory“).

The insignia was worn, pendent to a strip of black band, on the left breast.