Great Britain – British War Medal 1914–1918

Description

Great Britain – British War Medal 1914–1918

Instituted in 1919, the British War Medal was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who rendered approved service during the First World War between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. More than six million medals were issued, making it one of the most widely awarded British campaign decorations of the conflict.

The obverse bears the crowned effigy of King George V, surrounded by the Latin inscription “GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:” (“George V, King of all the Britains and Emperor of India”). The reverse depicts Saint George on horseback, symbolically trampling the emblems of the Central Powers, with the dates 1914 and 1918 flanking the design. The imagery represents the triumph of justice and perseverance over aggression.

The medal was normally issued in silver to combatant personnel and in bronze to certain labor corps and non-combatant organizations. It was commonly awarded alongside the Victory Medal, forming the familiar wartime pair known among veterans as “Mutt and Jeff.”

This example retains its original suspension and ribbon, displaying the distinctive watered silk ribbon of broad blue, black-edged white, and red stripes representing the allied nations of the war. The medal shows honest age-related wear and patina consistent with long-term preservation.

Condition: Very Fine; original ribbon present with expected age-related fraying and wear; suspension intact; attractive toning and clear details to both obverse and reverse; a representative example of one of the principal British campaign medals of the First World War.