Zilveren medaille voor moed en trouw

On 10 March 1835, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Jonkheer Jean Chrétien Baud, established a silver medal for courage by an East Indies decree so that it could be awarded to the Ambonese Sergeant De Longa, a severely wounded and consequently disabled veteran of the fighting on Sumatra’s west coast. The medal came with a silver ribbon. The words “FOR COURAGE AND FIDELITY” appeared on the medal. Earlier, King William I of the Netherlands had established, by royal decree, a cloth-made Decoration for the Affair of Lobenar and a similar Reward for Bravery Shown in the Cheribon area. On 10 March 1831 and 22 November 1828, the Dutch monarch had, by royal decrees, established gold and silver medals, apparently without ribbons, for actions that earned the Europeans who fought side by side with the “Indians” the Military Order of William. These earlier decorations can be classified as honorary medals.

The king was unwilling to award orders of knighthood and medals to natives. These would not be suitable for their clothing and culture. In such cases, the king chose gifts, krises, an appropriate sum of money or the honorary medals established in 1818.