History

The Medal for the Chilean Navy (Medalla a la Marina Chilena) was instituted to reward the survivors of the sunken ship "Esmeralda" which was attacked by the Peruvian ironclad "Huáscar" on May 21, 1879, during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883).

The Medal was authorized in Silver and Bronze; however, it is not clear in the composition of the Medal denoted the rank of the recipient.