The British Crimean War Medal was approved in 1854 to be given to enlisted men and officers from the British units that fought in the Crimean War during 1854-1856 against Russia. The medal was given to both naval and land units of the British army.
The medal stands out from others due to its ornate clasps which are made to resemble an oak leaf that has an acorn on each side of the clasp, which is a style that had never before been featured on a British medal and still has not been used again. The suspension is equally ornate with a swivelling suspender that floats above the medal, which once again can only be seen on the Crimean Medal.
There were five bars authorized to be awarded to soldiers but the most ever awarded to a soldier was four bars. Originally the medal was given to those who were in the war without a clasp that were not part of any qualifying actions. A specimen of the five bar medal is now part of the Royal Collection.
Certain members of the French forces were also presented with the medal which had the French bars issued onto them such as Malakof, Traktir, Mer d’Azoff, and Tchernaia.
The medal was awarded along with the Turkish Crimean War medal but when a large portion of those were lost on a boat the troops were given the Sardinian version in their place.
