The Long Service and Good Conduct medal was the earliest award which could be earned in times of peace. It was first issued on July 30, 1830, by William IV. The obverse bore a military trophy of arms and the King's escutcheon, whilst the reverse was inscribed "For Long Service and Good Conduct." The most recent copies bear a profile of the royal sovereign on the obverse. The ribbon is crimson.
The medal was intended for non-commissioned officers and men who had been discharged in receipt of gratuities after serving twenty-one years in the infantry or twenty-four in the cavalry. To-day, eighteen years' exemplary service only is required, and there is a gratuity of £5 on discharge.
Special regulations at the outset affected the granting of the "Long Service" medal to the Marines. The Commandant of the Division of Royal Marines, the warrant ran, may annually recommend a certain number of men of meritorious conduct for the "Good Conduct and Long Service" medal with a gratuity as follows:—
Sergeant who shall have served ten years as such £15.
Corporal who shall have served seven years as such, £7.
Private, £5.
The men to be recommended must have completed twenty-one years of actual service, have borne an irreproachable character, and have never been convicted by a court-martial.
In 1867 a decoration was instituted for the "Best Shot" in the Infantry Regiments. It was awarded annually by competition, and carried with it a money grant of £20. As the award was discontinued in 1883, specimens are rare, and seldom available for purchase.
The obverse of the medal bore Poynter's draped profile of Victoria, whilst the reverse showed Fame placing a wreath on the head of a warrior. The earlier copies are found in bronze, the later ones in silver. The ribbon was somewhat gaudy, consisting of seven strips, three narrow ones of black, white, and black, then a wide one of red, and finally three more narrow ones of black, white, and black.