Medal for Courage and Loyalty

1815–1914 (Modern era to the First World War)

The Medal for Valour and Loyalty was established by Royal Decree on 24 January 1839 as a reward for indigenous soldiers of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army who distinguished themselves through acts of valour and loyalty.

The Medal for Courage and Loyalty was awarded in silver and bronze; 89 silver and 1,156 bronze medals were struck. The medal was designed by Raden Saleh and was struck at the Royal Mint.

The medal was struck at the Royal Mint. In 1898, the Medal for Valour and Loyalty was replaced by the Cross for Valour and Loyalty.

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General

Start date	1839
End date	1898
Captions	voorzijde, opschrift: VOOR MOED EN TROUW IN NEERLANDSCH INDIE; omschrift: UIT NAAM DES KONINGS; keerzijde: [vertaling in Maleis of het Javaans van opschriften en en omschrift op de voorzijde]
Dimensions [width]	35 mm
Material	silver; bronze
Number	89 (silver); 1156 (bronze)

Background

Institutional decision	Royal Decree, 24 January 1839, No. 102
Additions	Royal Decree, 14 November 1869, No. 17
Objective	Established as a reward for indigenous soldiers of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army who distinguished themselves through acts of courage and loyalty.
(Historical) context
Producer	The Royal Mint; P.W. van Goor; Raden Saleh
Bibliography	Orders and Decorations of the Netherlands, 67–68
Note	The Medal for Valour and Loyalty was intended for indigenous servicemen who were not eligible for appointment to the Military Order of William. The medal was awarded in silver and bronze; the silver medal was awarded for outstanding acts of valour and loyalty or for repeated acts of valour and loyalty to servicemen who already held the bronze medal. There are two versions of the medal: one with the inscription on the reverse in Javanese and one with the inscription in Malay. Until 1869, the medal was worn on a plain blue ribbon; in 1869, it was decreed that the Medal for Courage and Loyalty should henceforth be worn on the orange-and-blue ribbon of the Military Order of William. In 1898, the Medal for Valour and Loyalty was replaced by the Cross for Valour and Loyalty.