Distinguished Conduct Medal, granted by Queen Victoria, 1854 1854

This Distinguished Conduct Medal was granted by Queen Victoria in 1854, made from bronze by Benedetto Pistrucci. The medal reflects a very specific type of institutional and cultural history. The British Empire, during Victoria's reign, had a need to reward military heroism and maintain social order. The image creates meaning through visual codes of British military power, and the royal crest at the center. We see cannons, spears, drums, and helmets, emblems of conquest and control. We can see that the medal not only rewards, but also promotes military values. It elevates the military into something of an ideal. By publicly honoring certain behaviors, medals like this help to shape a society's values and expectations. It gives a nod to Britain's then present social structure, where military service was idealized. To fully understand its significance, researchers might consult military archives, royal records, and even literature from the Victorian era. This medal, in the end, speaks volumes about the social conditions and power structures of its time.