80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal
Encyclopedia
The 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal was a commemorative medal made to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Armistice
marking the end of World War I
. It is the first commemorative medal in the Australian Honours System
.
A total of 71 medals were issued prior to Anzac Day
(25 April) 1999, with the medal being minted in record time following its establishment in January 1999.
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
marking the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It is the first commemorative medal in the Australian Honours System
Australian Honours System
-History:The Commonwealth of Australia, until 1975, used the Imperial or British honours system. Only a handful of peerages were created for Australians, some in recognition of public services rendered in Britain rather than Australia. Some hereditary peers and baronets whose titles derive from...
.
A total of 71 medals were issued prior to Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
(25 April) 1999, with the medal being minted in record time following its establishment in January 1999.
Description
- The 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal is a nickel-silver medal ensigned with the Crown of King George VGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
(sovereign at the time of World War I). The obverse has a raised central replica of the Bullecourt Digger. The words 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal are on the perimeter of the medal. - The reverse of the medal shows the Federation StarCommonwealth StarThe Commonwealth Star is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901....
over the central inscription 'Lest We ForgetOde of RemembranceThe "Ode of Remembrance" is an ode taken from Laurence Binyon's poem "For the Fallen", which was first published in The Times in September 1914....
' surrounded by two sprays of golden wattle that cross at the base. - The medal ribbon has a central black stripe flanked by red and black stripes. Red and black are the colours of the Flanders poppyCorn poppyPapaver rhoeas is a species of flowering plant in the poppy family, Papaveraceae...
worn as a mark of respect on Remembrance DayRemembrance DayRemembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
.