- Time Period: Pre-WW1
- Year of Institution: 1815
- Country: Great Britain
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
The Waterloo Medal is a British military medal established in 1816-17 and struck for all those who participated in the Waterloo campaign.
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 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 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 Silver Memorial Cross 1813–1815
The Silver Memorial Cross 1813–1815 was a Dutch campaign medal created by King William III of the Netherlands in 1865.
The War Commemorative Medal of 1813-15
The War Commemorative Medal for 1813–1815 was established in 1813 by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia for the Wars of Liberation.
