| Ghuznee Medal | |
|---|---|
  Obverse and reverse of the medal | |
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Awarded for | Campaign service |
| Description | Silver disk 37 mm wide |
| Presented by | Governor-General of India |
| Eligibility | British Army |
| Campaign(s) | Ghuznee 1839 |
| Clasps | None |
| Established | 1839 |
| Total | 8,371 |
 | |
TheGhuznee Medal is aBritish campaign medal awarded for participation in the storming of the fortress ofGhuznee in Afghanistan, on 21 to 23 July 1839 by troops of theBritish andIndian Armies. This action, theBattle of Ghazni, took place during theFirst Anglo-Afghan War.
This was the second medal awarded to all ranks of theBritish Army for a specific campaign, theWaterloo Medal being the first.[1] It was struck in 1839 on the orders ofShuja Shah Durrani, theShah of Afghanistan, to show his appreciation to the British forces who had helped restore him to his throne by storming the fortress. As the Shah died before the medals could be distributed, it was finally bestowed by theGovernor-General of India in the name of theGovernment of India.[2]
The medal was based on a design byJohn Luard, a British army officer and artist,[3] and struck at theCalcutta Mint. It is silver and 37 millimetres (1.5 in) in diameter,[1] with the following design:[2]
The obverse depicts the fortress of Ghuznee with the word ‘GHUZNEE’ below.
The reverse has amural crown surrounded by alaurel wreath and the date ’23d JULY 1839’.
The suspender is straight with a ring passing through a smaller loop soldered to the top of the medal.
The ribbon has two equal stripes of crimson and dark green. Originally the ribbon was to have been half green and half yellow.
The medal was issued unnamed, but many were later privately engraved or impressed in varying styles on the reverse or rim.[4]
Two separate dies exist for this medal with one having a wider border around the edge than the other. The second also has a narrower and taller fortress.[2]
Four separate campaign medals were awarded to British led forces who served in theAfghan War of 1839 to 1842:[5]
Campaign medals of theHonourable East India Company | |
|---|---|
| 18th Century |
|
| 1801 – 1837 |
|
| 1st Afghan War |
|
| 1843 – 1858 |
|
Note: Where no ribbon is shown, the medal was suspended around the neck by a cord:  | |
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