ILLINOIS NATIONAL GUARD - FIRST INFANTRY REGIMENT
1893 I.C.G. LONG AND HONORABLE SEVICE MEDAL - NAMED WITH INSCRIPTION
UNIQUE AND AMAZING TIFFANY & CO. 24 KARAT GOLD MEDAL WITH 18 KARAT SUSPENDOR BAR
UNIQUE EXCELLENT, STUNNING MEDAL IN MINT CONDITION
STANDARD TYPE I.N.G. LONG SERVICE MEDAL BUT IN SOLID GOLD
OBVERSE: A WREATHED NUMBER "1" (FIRST REGIMENT) CENTER WITHIN A CIRCLE WITH THE LEGEND "LONG AND HONORABLE SERVICE" AND INTERSECTED BY CROSSED INFANTRY RIFLES, ALL ATOP A RADIANT STARBURST; THE "I.C.G." CYPHER OR MONOGRAM AT BOTTOM AND AN AMERICAN BALD EAGLE AND SHIELD OF ARMS AT TOP; THE MEDAL IS SUSPENDED FROM A STURDY CHAIN LINK ATTACHED TO A SUSPENDOR BAR OR BROOCH, THE BAR BEARING THE LEGEND "PRO PATRIA (FOR COUNTRY)".
REVERSE: SUSPENDOR BAR OR BROOCH WITH STRONG AND WORKING PINBACK AND RIBBON BAR (NO RIBBON EXTANT), TIFFANY & CO. AND 18 KARAT STAMP; MEDAL BELOW, WITHIN CONCAVE CIRCLE AN EIGHT LINE INSCRIPTION, STAMP AT BOTTOM OF PLANCHET MARKED 24 KARAT. MARKED AT TOP "NO." WITH NO NUMBER FOLLOWING.
THE INSCRIPTION IS AS FOLLOWS:
"CAPTAIN A. L. BELL,
REPLACED BY THE 1ST INFANTRY I.N.G.
IN RECOGNITION OF HIS SERVICES IN REBUILDING THE
ARMORY,
BURNED APRIL 25, 1893."
THE ILLINOIS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD WAS FOUNDED IN 1712 AS COLONIAL FRENCH MILITIA AND THEN AS BRITISH COLONIAL MILITIA UNTIL THE REVOLUTION. AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, THE GUARD WAS PLACED UNDER A SINGLE COMMANDER UNTIL THE MILITIA ACT OF 1903 WHEN REORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL GUARD SYSTEM.
THE ILLINOIS MILITARY LONG AND HONORABLE SERVICE MEDAL IS STILL AWARDED TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMY AND AIR NATIONAL GUARD BY THE STATE OF ILLINOIS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF HONORABLE SERVICE.
ACCORDING TO THE NORTHEASTERN REPORTER, WEST PUBLISHING, CO. VOLUME 47, IN A LAWSUIT BROUGHT AGAINST CHICAGO EDISON ELECTRIC COMPANY, THE FIRST REGIMENT ARMORY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE APRIL 26, 1893. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE COINCIDED WITH THE FIRST INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICITY TO THE BUILDING.
ACCORDING TO THE INSCRIPTION, CAPTAIN BELL WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO REBUILD THE ARMORY. THIS REPLACEMENT MEDAL, GIVEN TO BELL BY HIS FELLOW GUARDSMEN, WAS POSSIBLY A REPLACEMENT FOR ONE LOST IN THE FIRE. THE FACT THAT IT IS A TIFFANY PIECE AND MADE OF GOLD SHOWS THE ESTEEM AND HIGH REGARD CAPTAIN BELL WAS HELD IN.
CONTAINS 64.6 GRAMS OF GOLD (10 GRAMS OF .750 FINE GOLD AND 54.6 GRAMS OF .999 PURE GOLD) OR 1.995 OUNCES ACTUAL GOLD WEIGHT
LENGTH OF ENTIRE PIECE IS 70 MM IN LENGTH, MEDAL IS 55 MM x 45 MM AND SUSPENDOR BAR IS 43 MM x 7 MM
