The Imperial Service Medal is a medal affiliated with the Imperial Service Order. The medal was established under the statutes of the Imperial Service Order, on 8 August 1902, by King Edward VII, with the first awards appearing in the London Gazette in May 1903.
Eligibility It is presented upon retirement to selected civil servants, including those belonging to the lowest support and clerical branches,Recognition: Imperial Service Medal, Ministry of Defence, says "Those eligible for consideration are Skill Zone and Band E grades" so including AA and AO gradesDamon Rogers. The workman's medal: an analysis of the award of the Imperial Service Medal during the reign of Edward VII. Orders and Medals Research Society Journal, June 2022, Vol 61 No 2. Page 131. who complete at least 25 years' meritorious service. It is primarily an award to manual and industrial grades, including workers in HM Dockyards and, prior to 1969 when it moved from central government control, the Post Office.Nick Tucker. The Imperial Service Medal: is this humble medal underrated?. Orders and Medals Research Society Journal, March 2021, Vol 60 No 1. Pages 16–22. Prison officers were eligible prior to the establishment in 2010 of the Prison Services Long Service Medal. The minimum period of service was 20½ years in India prior to independence in 1947, and 16 years in unhealthy climates in other countries.
Appearance When originally created the Imperial Service Medal was a seven-pointed star, or a laurel wreath for women, in the same pattern as the Imperial Service Order, but with the star or laurel in bronze. In 1920 an amendment of the statutes changed the appearance of the medal to its current form: a circular silver medal, in diameter, bearing the effigy of the reigning sovereign on the obverse. To date, here have been six versions:
The reverse bears the image of a naked man resting from his labours with the inscription "For Faithful Service". The name of the recipient is impressed on the rim of the medal. Recipients are listed in the London Gazette.For example:
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