Medalha de D. Pedro e D. Maria

The D. Pedro and D. Maria Medal, also known as the Medal of the Campaigns of Liberty, was established by decree of the Secretary of State for War, dated 16 October 1861, and published in Army Order No. 24 of that same year, with the aim of “bearing public witness to the […] benevolence towards those who, with admirable perseverance, and despite difficulties that seemed insurmountable, upheld” (quotation from the decree) the cause of Portuguese Liberalism during the Civil War fought from 1826 to 1834 between the Liberals and the Miguelists.

The copper medal is 3 centimetres in diameter. Its obverse consists of the superimposed effigies of D. Maria II and D. Pedro IV, with the dates 1826–1834 in two lines at the bottom.

The reverse bears the phrase “Campaigns of Liberty” or “Civil Services” around the edge, depending on whether the services to the liberal cause were military or civil in nature. In the centre of the reverse was one of the numerals from 1 to 9, corresponding to the number of years served by the recipient.