British Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for 253 Sergeant (Sjt) J. Johnston, 1st Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders. From this regimental number, it appears that he joined the 1st Battalion in the fall of 1881. It has a red ribbon and is the Queen Victoria version with the smaller scroll suspender, circa 1875 - 1901. On the Queen Victoria version of the medal, the House of Hannover Shield was therefore removed from the central shield on the obverse. The same Victorian obverse design was also used for the original version of the Distinguished Conduct Medal that was instituted in 1854. The reverse remained unaltered, while the suspender was still either a large ring or a rectangular wire bar, attached to the medal with an apparently silver clip. Due to the large number of these medals that were awarded during the long reign of Queen Victoria, new dies had to be cut from time to time, which resulted in differences in appearance. In 1855 a Victoria version of the medal with new swivelling scroll suspender began to be produced. The suspender was affixed to the medal by means of a double-toe claw and a horizontal pin through the upper edge of the medal. From 1874 a fourth version of the Victoria medal appeared, with smaller lettering on the reverse and with the underline to the inscription now two spear blades separated by three separate balls. The medal also had a redesigned and more elaborate scroll suspender. The Victoria version of the medal was awarded up to the Army Order of July 1902, post-dating her death.