Imperial Service Medal
History
The Imperial Service Medal was instituted in August 1902 and is affiliated with the Imperial Service Order. The medal is awarded for long service to selected (junior grade) civil servants who had complete 25 years’ service upon their retirement.
When originally created, the Imperial Service Medal was an eight pointed star, in the same pattern as the Imperial Service Order, but made of bronze. In 1920, an amendment of the statutes changed the appearance of the medal to its current form with the obverse bearing the civil head of King George V.
In 1931 the pattern on the obverse side was changed again to the crowned effigy of George V. Thereafter, the obverse side always bears the crowned effigy of the Monarch reigning at the time of the award.
Normally, a person must have served for 25 years (at home), to become eligible, but this could be shortened to either 20 years and six months in India, or, 16 years for those serving in more challenging locations such as the tropics. In exceptional circumstances, the award could be presented for ‘…eminently meritorious service’, regardless of length of service.
During the 1993 reform of the British honors’ system, the British Government decided to make no new appointments to the Imperial Service Order. However, the Imperial Service Medal continues to be awarded in recognition of certain individuals who make positive contributions.
Recipients of this order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters 'ISM'.
Description
The medal is circular, 32mm in diameter and was struck in silver. The obverse of this medal bears the effigy of the reigning monarch at the time that the medal was issued and a corresponding inscription. This is summarised in the table below:-
|
Monarch
|
Issue & Type
|
Obverse Style & Inscription
|
Dates
|
|
|
Edward VII
|
1
|
EDVII
|
Star Version Royal Cypher |
1903 - 1910
|
|
George V
|
2
|
GV 1
|
Star Version Royal Cypher |
1911 - 1920
|
|
George V
|
3
|
GV 2
|
Coinage Profile
GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT OMN:REX F.D. IND: IMP:
|
1921 - 1931
|
|
George V
|
4
|
GV 3
|
Crowned Head
GEORGIVS.V.D.G.BRITT. OMN REX. ET. INDIAE IMP.
|
1932 - 1937
|
|
George VI
|
5
|
GVI 1
|
Crowned Head
GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: OMN: REX ET INDIAE IMP:
|
1938 - 1948
|
|
George VI
|
6
|
GVI 2
|
Crowned Head
GEROGIVS VI DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX FID: DEF: +
|
1949 - 1952
|
|
Elizabeth II
|
7
|
E:R I
|
Tudor Crowned Bust
ELIZABETH II D: G: BR: OMN: REGINIA F:D:
|
1953 - 1954
|
|
Elizabeth II
|
8
|
E:R 2
|
Tudor Crowned Bust
ELIZABETH II DEI
GRATIA REGINIA F.D.
|
1955 -
|
The reverse depicts a finely sculptured male figure gazing out across the sea towards the setting sun, symbolising rest after labour, with the inscription; ‘FOR FAITHFUL SERVICE’ below.
The ribbon suspender is a ring attached to a fastening that surmounts the medal.
The recipient's details can be found impressed on the medal's rim.
Ribbon
The ribbon is 38mm wide, red in colour with a central light blue stripe.
Bars/Clasps
None were authorised for this medal.
Further relevant historical context can be found at the foot of this entry.
Dealer Retail Value */**
|
Edward VII star issue to a male recipiant
|
£125.00
|
|
Edward VII star issue to a female recipiant
|
£450.00
|
|
George V star issue to a male recipiant
|
£120.00
|
|
George V star issue to a female recipiant
|
£450.00
|
|
All other issues of the medal since 1920
|
£25.00
|
* It should be noted that the values quoted above reflect the average price that a medal dealer may expect to sell this medal for - please see the ‘things you should know’ web page for more details about valuing medals.
** The individual medal value will vary considerably based on the recipient’s details.
Further Historical Context
- Her Majesty’s Home Civil Service.
- Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service.
- The Northern Ireland Civil Service.
Her Majesty’s Home Civil Service - Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as Her Majesty's Civil Service or the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy or secretariat of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government, which is composed of a cabinet of ministers chosen by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as two of the three devolved administrations: the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government, but not the Northern Ireland Executive.
Like in various countries (example India) following a Parliamentary system, Her Majesty's Home Civil Service in the UK forms an inseparable part of executive branch of the Government of the United Kingdom. The executive decisions of government ministers are implemented by HM Civil Service. Civil servants are employees of the Crown and not the British Parliament. Civil servants also have some traditional and statutory responsibilities which to some extent protect them from being used for the political advantage of the party in power. Senior civil servants may be called to account to Parliament.
In general use, the term civil servant in the United Kingdom does not include all public sector employees; although there is no fixed legal definition, the term is usually defined as ‘…a servant of the Crown working in a civil capacity who is not the holder of a political (or judicial) office; the holder of certain other offices in respect of whose tenure of office special provision has been made; [or] a servant of the Crown in a personal capacity paid from the Civil List’.
As such, the civil service does not include government ministers (who are politically appointed), members of the British Armed Forces, the police, officers of local government authorities or quangos of the Houses of Parliament, employees of the National Health Service (NHS), or staff of the Royal Household. As of October 2013, there are approximately 412,000 full-time equivalent (447,000 headcount) civil servants in the Home Civil Service.
There are two other administratively separate civil services in the United Kingdom. One is for Northern Ireland (the Northern Ireland Civil Service); the other is the foreign service (Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service). The heads of these services are members of the Permanent Secretaries Management Group
This information was taken from ‘Wikipedia’. The original article and details of the authors can be found here. It is reproduced on this web-site under the ‘creative commons’ licence which can be found here.
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service - Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service (HMDS) is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs. Its approximate 16,000 employees work for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London as well as 240 posts (embassies and other offices) around the world, alongside locally employed staff and members of other government departments. The Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is also the Head of the Diplomatic Service.
The Foreign Service, which originally provided civil servants to staff the Foreign Office, was once a separate service, but it amalgamated with the Diplomatic Service in 1918. The Diplomatic Service also absorbed the Colonial Service in the late 1960s.
Women were not allowed to join the Diplomatic Service until 1946. Until 1973, they were required to leave when they married. The first female ambassador to be appointed was Barbara Salt, to Israel in 1962, but ill-health prevented her from taking up the post. The first woman to actually serve as an ambassador was Anne Warburton, appointed to Denmark in 1976.
This information was taken from ‘Wikipedia’. The original article and details of the authors can be found here. It is reproduced on this web-site under the ‘creative commons’ licence which can be found here.
The Northern Ireland Civil Service - The Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive, the devolved government of Northern Ireland.
The NICS is one of three civil services in the United Kingdom, the others being the Home Civil Service and the HM Diplomatic Service. The heads of these services are members of the Permanent Secretaries Management Group.
This information was taken from ‘Wikipedia’. The original article and details of the authors can be found here. It is reproduced on this web-site under the ‘creative commons’ licence which can be found here.
End of database.