| Canada General Service Medal | |
|---|---|
  Obverse and reverse of medal | |
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Awarded for | Campaign service. |
| Description | Silver disk 36 mm wide |
| Presented by | Canada United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Eligibility | Imperial and Canadian forces |
| Clasps |
|
| Established | 1 January 1899 [1] |
| Total | 17,623 [2] |
 | |
The Canada General Service Medal was a campaign medal awarded by the Canadian Government [3] to both Imperial and Canadian forces for duties related to the Fenian raids between 1866 and 1871. [4] The medal was initially issued in 1899 and had to be applied for. [5] The application period was later extended to 1907, then to 1928. [3]
With late applications, 17,623 medals were awarded, [2] including 15,300 to members of Canadian units. [5]
The medal, 1.4 inches (36 mm) in diameter, is silver and has a plain straight swivel suspender. [3] The obverse bears the head of Queen Victoria with the legend VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX, while the reverse depicts the ensign of Canada surrounded by a wreath of maple leaves with the word CANADA above. [5]
The recipient's name, rank and unit appear on the rim of the medal. A number of different impressed and engraved styles were used, reflecting that the medal was awarded over a long period of time. [3]
The 1.25 inches (32 mm) wide ribbon consists of three equal stripes of red, white and red. In 1943 the same ribbon was adopted for the Canada Medal. [6]
