IdentifyMedals Logo

Category: Round and Oval

The Italian Independence Medal

The Italian Independence Medal was instituted in 1865 to reward the participants of the wars against Austria and the Sicilies.

The Italian Independence Medal (or Medaglia per le guerre di Indipendenza e l’Unita d’italia) was instituted on March 4, 1865 by Royal Decree No. 2174 of King Vittorio Emmanuele II to reward the participants of the wars against Austria and the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies.

This medal replaced all other previously granted awards, except the Crimea, St. Helena, Napoleonic campaigns of 1859 and the Expedition of Thousands medals.

The Italian Independence Medal Design

The medal is struck in silver and measures 32 millimeters in diameter.

The ribbon has green, red and white stripes.

The Italian African Campaign Medal

The Italian African Campaign Medal was awarded for campaigns and battles to colonize part of North Africa in the late 19th century.

The Italian African Campaign Medal for the 1895-96 Campaign is an Italian Pre-WW1 medal awarded for the various Italian campaigns and battles to colonize part of North Africa in the late nineteenth century.

The medal was established on 3 November 1894.

The Italian African Campaign Medal Design

The medal is struck in bronze and has a diameter of 32 millimeters. It was awarded with a silver clasp reading the name of the corresponding campaign (for example, “Campagna 1895-96“).

The obverse bears the crowned bust of Umberto I facing right, crowned, and in military uniform. The reverse bears the inscription ‘CAMPAGNE D’AFRICA‘ within a laurel wreath.

The ribbon is 39 millimeters wide and red, with 6 mm blue edges. The medal is fitted with a fixed bar loop suspender and the two rectangular campaign bars slide over the ribbon.

The Italian Red Cross Medal of Merit

The Italian Red Cross Medal of Merit (Al merito della Croce Rossa) is an Italian award established in 1913 and awarded in three grades.

The Italian Red Cross Medal of Merit (or Medaglia al merito della Croce Rossa Italiana) is an Italian award established in 1913.

The medal was awarded in both peacetime and wartime. In peacetime, for particular merits or personal actions and for social commitment and organizational capacity. In wartime for those who have particularly distinguished themselves or worked for the Association in peace and humanitarian support operations in support of populations affected by armed conflict.

The medal was awarded in the following grades:

  • Gold Medal of Merit, awarded for services rendered in wartime in the area of ​​operations,
  • Silver Medal of Merit, awarded for services rendered in times of war in the area of ​​operations, and
  • Bronze medal of merit, awarded for services rendered in wartime in the area of ​​operations.
  • Diploma of Merit, awarded for services rendered in times of war in the area of ​​operations.

The Italian Red Cross Medal of Merit Design

The medal has a diameter of 34 millimeters and weighs about 16,67 grams. It was issued with a red case, with red fitted leatherette exterior.

The ribbon is white with narrow red, white, and green edges.

Find Red Cross Medals Online

More Red Cross Medals

See All Red Cross Medals & Awards >

The European March of Remembrance and Friendship Commemorative Medal

The European March of Remembrance and Friendship Commemorative Medal (Médaille commémorative de la “Marche Européenne du Souvenir et de l’Amitié” / Herinneringsmedaille van de “Europese Mars van de Herdenking en de Vriendschap”) was established in 1967 to commemorate the European March of Remembrance and Friendship, a four-day international march originally organized in 1967 by the 3rd Battalion of the Ardennes Chasseur Regiment in remembrance of the operations performed by the unit at the beginning of World War II in the Ardennes region.

The march is now organized on a yearly basis and also focusses on honoring the towns in the region regularly changing its course to do so. The march is divided into four legs of thirty-two kilometers each in the Ardennes region of Belgium as well as the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.

The European March of Remembrance and Friendship Commemorative Medal Design

The medal is circular and struck in silver.

The obverse bears the relief left profile of a wild boar’s head surrounded by a 3mm wide ring along the entire medal’s circumference and bearing the relief inscription “3 CHASSEURS ARDENNAIS” in the upper half and “125 km” at the bottom. The reverse bears the relief inscription on four lines “MARCHE” “DU SOUVENIR” “ET DE L’AMITIE” “ARLON-VIELSALM“.

The ribbon is dark green with the national colors of Belgium in three narrow 1mm edge stripes and two narrow 1mm wide red stripes centered 1 cm apart on the green field. The medal hangs from a ribbon secured by a hook through a suspension loop at its top.

The Meritorious Service Medal

The Meritorious service medal for personnel of the Belgian Defence Forces and Foreign Armed Forces (Médaille du Mérite en faveur des membres du personnel de la défense et d’armées étrangères / Medaille van Verdienste ten gunste van de personeelsleden van defensie en van vreemde legers) is a military decoration of Belgium established on 23 February 2005.

The medal is awarded to members of the Belgian Armed Forces and civilians working for the Belgian Defence who show exemplary meritorious behavior in the completion of their duties or who have accomplished an exemplary meritorious act. It may also be awarded to foreign military and civilian members of a foreign Armed Force who have provided exceptional support to the Belgian Defence. The medal is awarded by the King based on a proposal from the Secretary of Defence, the Chief of Defence or an officer with the authority of Corps Commander or above, for award to a person who:

  • is more productive than most of their colleagues;
  • tries to achieve perfection in their daily work;
  • has on their own initiative achieved something to the benefit of the Belgian Armed Forces;
  • has not had any previous penal or disciplinary sanctions;
  • behaves in an exemplary manner; and
  • takes into account human and social issues in their work.

The Meritorious Service Medal Design

The medal is circular and struck from bronze.

The obverse bears the Escutcheon-only version of the Coat of arms of Belgium. The plain reverse usually bears the engraved name of the recipient and date of the award.

The ribbon is light blue with four vertical white stripes. The original Medal for Military Merit had the same design and hung from the same ribbon as the new one, only the statute differs. The medal is suspended to the ribbon by a ring though the suspension loop.

The Commemorative Medal for Operations in Defense of the Territory

The Commemorative Medal for Missions or Operations regarding the operational defense of the territory (Médaille commémorative pour les missions ou opérations relatives à la défense opérationnelle du territoire / Herinneringsmedaille voor de opdrachten of operaties met betrekking tot de operationele verdediging van het grondgebied) is a military decoration of Belgium established on 28 March 2018 and is awarded to military and civilian members of the Belgian Armed Forces who participated in operations related to the defense of the Belgian territory or who provided specialized support to such operations for a minimum duration of 30 days.

In order to be eligible for the award, personnel must have shown exemplary behavior during the operation.

The Commemorative Medal for Operations in Defense of the Territory Design

The medal is circular and struck from bronze.

The obverse of the medal bears the Escutcheon-only version of the Coat of arms of Belgium under the royal crown and surrounded by the text “MISSIONS OU OPERATIONS INTERIEURES BINNENLANDSE OPDRACHTEN OF OPERATIES”. The reverse bears a laurel crown along the outer circumference. The blank area within the wreath may be used to engrave the recipients’ name and date of the award.

The ribbon is golden with three thin longitudinal stripes of black, yellow and red in the middle and adorned with an Arabic numeral that denotes the number of operations or missions the recipient has participated in.

The Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operations or Missions

The Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operations or Missions (Médaille Commémorative pour Missions ou Opérations à l’Étranger / Herinneringsmedaille voor Buitenlandse Opdrachten of Operaties) is a military decoration of Belgium established on 13 April 1993 and awarded to military and civilian members of the Belgian Armed Forces who participated in operations or missions outside of the territory of Belgium.

The medal is awarded to those who participated in good standing, in humanitarian, peacekeeping, peace enforcement or international security operations or missions outside the territory of Belgium for a minimum duration of one month. The list of the operations for which the medal is awarded is included in a separate Ministerial Decree, which is amended on a regular basis. If a person participated in more than one such operation, they receive the medal for each of these operations, the number of awards being represented by the number displayed on the ribbon.

The Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operations or Missions Design

The medal is circular and is struck from bronze.

The obverse of the medal bears the Escutcheon-only version of the Coat of arms of Belgium under the royal crown and surrounded by the text “Missions ou opérations à l’étranger – Buitenlandse opdrachten of operaties”. The reverse bears a laurel crown along the outer circumference. The blank area within the wreath may be used to engrave the recipients’ name and date of the award.

The ribbon is golden with three thin longitudinal stripes of black, green, and black near the outer edges. The ribbon is adorned with an Arabic numeral that denotes the number of operations or missions the recipient has participated in.

The Medal for Services Rendered

The Medal for Services Rendered (Médaille pour Services Rendus / Medaille voor Bewezen Diensten) is a Belgian military service medal that was proposed to be created on 18 April 1988 by ministerial decree.

It was intended to be awarded to members of the army, navy, air force and medical services of the Belgian Armed Forces for service rendered in particularly difficult circumstances over an extended time period. However, the creation of the medal was presented to the Council of State under the form of a ministerial decree and the Council ruled that the creation of such an award should be done by the King, thus via a Royal Decree.

Because a Royal Decree was never made, the medal was never officially created and has not or cannot be awarded.

The Medal for Services Rendered Design

The medal measures 36mm in diameter and is circular and struck in bronze.

The obverse bears a relief vertical broadsword pointing up superimposed over the base of a laurel wreath. Inscribed in relief along the medal circumference is, in Latin, “PATRIAM PROTEGO ET SERVIO” (“I PROTECT AND SERVE MY COUNTRY“). The reverse is smooth and plain.

The ribbon is 37 mm wide yellow silk moiré with five longitudinal black stripes. The black stripes are positioned as follows: one in the center, one on each edge, the last two are 4 mm from the edges. The width of the stripes varies according to the ribbon type. The type 1 ribbon has 2 mm edge stripes, 1 mm inner stripes and a 3 mm central stripe, the type 2 ribbon has five equal 1 mm stripes.

The medal hangs by a ring through a suspension loop.

The Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operation

The Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operations (Médaille commémorative pour opérations humanitaires armées / Herinneringsmedaille voor Gewapende Humanitaire Operaties) is a military decoration of Belgium established on 11 September 1987 and awarded to military and civilian members of the Belgian Armed Forces who participated in armed humanitarian operations.

The list of the operations for which the medal is awarded is included in the Royal Decree creating the medal, it is amended on a regular basis. If a person participated in more than one such operation, he or she will be awarded the same medal for each of these operations, each award represented by an additional clasp on the ribbon.

In the period 2009-2013, the Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operations was awarded 119 times.

The Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operation Design

The medal is circular and struck in bronze. The obverse bears at its center a blue enameled octagon with a yellow five-pointed star in the center. Along the outer circumference of the medal are thin enameled lines of black, yellow, and red surrounding the relief inscription “ARMED HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS” (OPÉRATIONS HUMANITAIRES ARMÉES / GEWAPENDE HUMANITAIRE OPERATIES). The obverse is plain.

The ribbon is azure blue, with three thin longitudinal bars in the national colors of Belgium (black, yellow and red). Small bronze clasps bear the names of the operations in which the recipient participated.

The Foreign Operational Theaters Commemorative Medal

The Foreign Operational Theaters Commemorative Medal (Médaille Commémorative des Théatres d’Opérations Extérieurs / Herinneringsmedaille voor Buitenlandse Operaties) was promulgated by Royal Decree of 26 September 1951 and signed by King Baudouin. The medal could be awarded posthumously.

The medal was awarded to Belgian citizens and entitled foreigners who served with Belgian Units in the Korean theatre of operations, for one day or more, between 18 December 1950 and 29 July 1953.

There are several clasps and emblems, worn to show each of the theatres involved.

  • COREE-KOREA – all volunteers of the Bataillon Belge who qualified for the medal are entitled to this clasp.
  • IMJIN – for soldiers of the first Belgian contingent (1951-2) who participated in the fighting in April 1951.
  • HAKTANG-NI – for soldiers of the first contingent (1951-2) who participated in the fighting in October 1951.
  • CHATKOL for soldiers of the second contingent (1952-3) who participated in the fighting along the bank of the Imjin River in April 1953.

The Foreign Operational Theaters Commemorative Medal Design

The medal measures 5mm in diameter and is circular and struck in bronze.

The obverse bears the emblem with the lion of Belgium in relief. A single red enameled cross is worn by those wounded in action and granted an injury chevron, and a 5 pointed silver star by servicemen returning to duty in Korea after being wounded in action.