The Baltic Medal 1854 - 1855
Instituted April 1856 for award to those that
served with the Naval deployment to the Baltic during the
Crimean war. This is mainly a Royal Navy and Royal Marines1 medal although
106 medals were issued to a Royal Engineer contingent present.
Description: In Silver, 36mm diameter with an
ornate swivelling suspension. Obverse; the diademed head of
Queen Victoria and the legend VICTORIA REGINA. Reverse; Britannia
holding a trident and seated on a plinth. In the background a
coastal
seascape depicting the forts of Bomarsund 2
and Sveaborg. The dates 1854 - 1855 are in exergue.
The engravers signatures "W. Wyon RA" (Obverse) is on the bust
truncation, and "L.C. Wyon" (reverse) is within the exergue.
Naming : Issued unnamed apart from the medals to the Royal
Engineers which were impressed in roman capitals. Many recipients of
unnamed medals had their medals privately engraved (and hence turn
up in various contemporary engraved styles similar to the Crimea War
medals.)
Ribbon; yellow with blue edges.
Notes
1 Also awarded to some of the French. ( In
addition to the official medal a French unofficial striking was also
produced on a thinner flan without the engravers signatures)
2 An (offsite) image of Bomarsund
under attack is
here |