The Allied Victory Medal (Italy)

Time Period: The Great War
Institution: 16 December 1920
Country: Italy

The Allied Victory Medal (Medaglia interalleata della vittoria, or Medaglia della vittoria commemorativa della grande guerra per la civiltà in Italian) was the Italian variant of the Victory Medal of other nations.

The Allied Victory Medal was established by royal decree number 1918 on 16 December 1920, and was awarded to all who had been given the “fatiche di guerra” distinction before, on 21 May 1916. It was also given to those who had served for four months in an area under the jurisdiction of the armed forces and who had been mobilized and directly worked with the operational army.

The Allied Victory Medal Design

The Victory Medal measures 36 millimeters (1.4 in) in diameter and its obverse was designed by William McMillan. The design and ribbon was adopted by Great Britain, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA.

Each allied nation would design a ‘Victory Medal’ for award to their own nationals, all issues having certain common features, including a winged figure of victory on the obverse and the same ribbon.

The Italian medal’s design was done via public competition, which was won by Gaetano Orsolini. His design features the ‘Victory on a triumphal chariot, with the torch of liberty, drawn by four yoked lions’.

The obverse of the medal shows the winged, full-length, full-front, figure of ‘Victory‘ with her left arm extended and holding a palm branch in her right hand.

The 39 millimeters (1.5 in) wide watered ribbon has an iridescent color scheme, with the violet moving through to a central red stripe where both schemes meet. It attaches to the medal through a ring suspender. The recipient’s name, rank, service number and unit were impressed on the edge of the medal. The name of the regiment or corps was omitted on medals awarded to Army officers.