British Imperial Service Medal, GV Crowned Head . BM547

British Imperial Service Medal. George V, crowned head (1931-1937). No pin on ribbon. Named on rim: Robert Joseph Read. Worn condition.

Additional Notes: The British Imperial Service Medal (ISM) is a long-service award of the United Kingdom, established in August of 1902 by King Edward VII under the statutes of the Imperial Service Order. It was designed to recognize 25 years of meritorious service in the civil service of the United Kingdom, its Dominions, Colonies, Protectorates, and Overseas Territories. The medal is a circular silver medal with the reigning sovereign’s effigy on the obverse and a reverse depicting a naked man resting from labor with the same inscription. Over six sovereigns, the medal has been issued in different effigies, from George V to Elizabeth II. In summary, the Imperial Service Medal is a civil service long-service award recognizing decades of dedicated work across the British Empire, with a design and history reflecting the period in which it was issued.

Historical sources indicate that the post‑1920 silver medals were struck in silver with no other metals, and the silver content is generally in the range of .800 to .925 purity. This means they are in the range of sterling silver, making them valuable both as collectibles and as silver bullion.

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