1861 Flood Medal
The 1861 Flood Medal was established to recognise the diligence, courage, prudence and self-sacrifice shown during the flood of 1861. Those who had already received a Flood Medal in 1855 were given a clasp bearing the inscription ‘WATERSNOOD 1861’, which could be worn on the ribbon.
The medal was produced by the Royal Mint; the dies were engraved by Johan Philip Matthias Menger. A total of 84 silver and 173 bronze copies were struck.
General
| Start date | 1861 |
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| End date | 1861 |
| Captions | voorzijde: WILLEM III KONING DER NED. G.H.V.L; keerzijde, opschrift: DE KONING AAN; omschrift: WATERSNOOD VAN 1861 |
| Dimensions [width] | 50 mm |
| Material | silver; bronze |
| Number | 84 (silver); 173 (bronze) |
Background
| Institutional decision | Royal Decree, 24 March 1861, No. 66 |
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| Additions | |
| Objective | Established to recognise the diligence, courage, prudence and self-sacrifice displayed during the flood of 1861. |
| (Historical) context | On 1 February 1861, drifting ice caused the waters of the River Waal to overflow the Waalbandijk dyke near Beneden-Leeuwen. The entire Land van Maas en Waal and the Rijk van Nijmegen were flooded. Thirty-seven residents of Beneden-Leeuwen lost their lives through drowning. |
| Producer | The Royal Mint; Johan Philip Matthias Menger |
| Bibliography | Orders and Decorations of the Netherlands, 130; The Flood Medal in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Photo Atlas, 14–17 |
| Note | The name of the recipient was engraved on the reverse. Those who had already received a flood medal in 1855 were given a clasp bearing the inscription ‘WATERSNOOD 1861’, which could be worn on the ribbon. A total of 13 silver and 2 bronze buckles dated 1861 were awarded. |
Section
| In full | |
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| Share | |
| Additions | buckle 1861 |
