India General Service Medal 1854

The India General Service Medal 1854 - 1895

Instituted 22nd December 1853 after the Pegu campaign - with a recommendation being approved three months later to issue further bars for the same medal for any future campaigns and actions. Titled the "India General Service Medal" but the geographical range covered by this medal is much larger, including Persia and Malaya.
Description: 36mm diameter silver or bronze^1. Obverse - the diademed head of Queen Victoria and the legend "VICTORIA REGINA". Reverse depicts the winged figure of Victory crowning a seated warrior with a wreath.
Naming : Generally early issues impressed - later engraved². See table below for details for each bar.
Bars: twenty four³, see below for details.
Ribbon: red, with two dark blue stripes.

notes.
¹. The first 9 issues in silver only. From then on (BURMA 1885-87 onwards) medals were also issued in bronze to some natives. - Issues in silver or bronze are highlighted below in pink.
^2. Engraved medals can be found with the naming running in either direction.
³. Expect to find multiple bars fixed in a variety of unofficial ways and possibly the incorrect order.
(Also see: Medals of the Regiments for qualification by regiment for Infantry and Cavalry units.)

THE BARS, period of campaign & naming style
PEGU 28th March 1852 - 30th June 1853 Impressed in small serif capitals	PERSIA 5ht December 1856 - 8th February 1857 Impressed in small serif capitals
NORTH WEST FRONTIER 3rd December 1849 - 22nd October 1868 Impressed small serif capitals.	UMBEYLA 20th October - 23rd December 1863 Impressed small serif capitals.
BHOOTAN December 1864 - February 1866 Impressed serif capitals (engraved running script to natives)	LOOSHAI 9th December 1871 - 20th February 1872 engraved thin running script.
PERAK 2nd November 1875 - 20th March 1876 engraved large sloping capitals.	NAGA 1879 - 80 January 1875 & December 1897 - January 1880 engraved thin running script.
JOWAKI 1877-8 8th November 1877 - 19th January 1878 Impressed serif capitals	BURMA 1885-7 14th November 1885 - 30th April 1887 Thin running script. Impressed serif capitals to RN & RM
SIKKIM 1888 15th March - 27th September 1888 engraved thin running script	HAZARA 1888 3rd October - 9th November 1888 engraved thin running script
BURMA 1887-89 1st May 1887 - 31st March 1889 engraved thin running script	BURMA 1887-9 scarce variant bar of BURMA 1887-89
CHIN LUSHAI 1889-90 13th November 1889 - 30th April 1890 engraved bold running script	SAMANA 1891 5th April - 25th May 1891 engraved thin running script
HAZARA 1891 12th March - 16th May 1891 engraved running script	HUNZA 1891 1st - 22nd December 1891 engraved running script
N.E. FRONTIER 1891 28th March - 7th May 1891 engraved running script	BURMA 1889 - 92 16th April 1889 - 18th April 1892 engraved thin running script
LUSHAI 1889 - 92 11th January 1889 - 8th June 1892 Impressed serif capitals (engraved running script to KRRC and natives)	CHIN HILLS 1892 - 93 19th October 1892 - 10th March 1893 engraved running script
KACHIN HILLS 1892 - 93 3rd December 1892 - 3rd March 1893 engraved bold running script	WAZIRISTAN 1894-5 22nd October 1894 - 13th March 1895 engraved running script.

Bar: PEGU, named to GEO. COAKES. A.B & S. G. "FOX"

Bar: BURMA 1887 - 89, named to: 6953 P^te J Stack 4^th BⁿRif. Brig.

Bar: HAZARA 1888, named to: 159 P^teR. J. Finlay 2^d Bⁿ North'd Fus

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