Description
Exceptional Civil War Campaign Medal. The medal was awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who had served in the war between 1861 and 1865 and is considered the first campaign service medal of the United States Armed Forces. The medal was first authorized in 1905 for the fortieth anniversary of the Civil War’s conclusion by the United States War Department on January 21, 1907, by General Orders Number 12. To qualify, a soldier had to serve between April 15, 1861, and April 9, 1865. The blue and grey ribbon denotes the respective uniform colors of the U.S. and Confederate troops. The medal was originally established as a badge, because Congress would not approve a medal due to the costs involved. These are numbered with the very first medal being issued to Major General Charles F. Humphrey. This example is a very early issue with a serial number of “798”. Unfortunately, I believe these can only be traced up to No. 554. No separation to the ribbon. Overall a very nice example
