History

The Crimea Medal was established by General Order on December 15, 1854, to reward Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and other ranks of the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines in recognition of service in the Crimea from 1854-1856 during the Crimean War. The Medal was also awarded to French troops who fought alongside British forces in the Crimea War, although it was not universally awarded in France.

The Medal could be awarded with clasps that denote participation in specific battles. Multiple clasps could be awarded to the same recipient, with 4 clasps being the most awarded to one recipient. The following 5 clasps were officially awarded:

1. "ALMA"
2. "BALAKLAVA"
3. "INKERMANN"
4. "SEBASTOPOL"
5. "AZOFF"

There are a number of different naming styles seen on this medal as a result of large production and hasty awarding. All medals were issued unnamed. Only a small percentage of medals awarded to British troops were sent to be officially named at the Royal Mint (known as "officially impressed"), while many others were either privately engraved in Britain, or named in Crimea (known as "depot impressed," or "regimentally impressed").

It should be noted that there are unofficial versions that were manufactured in France during the same period. The first of these versions replaced the Wyon stamping on the reverse with the initials "E.F.," while the second features an unsigned and undated obverse. There are also a number of unofficial clasps manufactured in France, which include the following:

1. "TRAKTIR"
2. "TCHERNAIA"
3. "MALAKOF"
4. "KINNBURN"
5. "MER D'AZOFF"
6. "MOULIN"

There are also a number of different miniature versions of the Medal which may differ in size, manufacturer, design, and suspension.