Type Campaign medal Established 1 March 1869 | Awarded for Campaign Service Next (higher) New Zealand Medal | |
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Eligibility British and British Indian Army Campaign(s) 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia | ||
The Abyssinian War Medal was awarded for service between 4 October 1867 and 19 April 1868 to those who participated in the 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia. This punitive expedition, led by Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Napier, was carried out by armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire. Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, imprisoned several missionaries and two representatives of the British government. The punitive expedition launched by the British in response required the transportation of a sizable military force hundreds of miles across mountainous terrain lacking any road system.
Description
The medal is silver, 1 1/4 inch in diameter. It was designed by Joseph and Alfred Wyon, and struck at the Royal Mint. The medal is unique in that the recipient's names were stamped in relief on the reverse of the medal. This feature required that the dies for the reverse had to have a removable center so each recipient's name could be impressed.
The obverse bears the left facing effigy of a diademed Queen Victoria. Around the edge is a stylised border with indentions, between the indentions are the letters ABYSSINIA. The bust is similar to that on the New Zealand Medal issued in the same year.
The reverse has a blank central shield, for stamping the recipient's name, surrounded by a laurel wreath.
The medal is held by a ring suspension attached to a crown surmounting the medal. The medal is borne upon a crimson ribbon 1 1/2 inches wide, with white borders.