The Commemorative Medal of the War of Liberation. Awarded to all who had participated in the war to secure Finland's independance. Instituted on 10 September 1918 by the Finnish Senate in Helsinki, this blackened iron medal was originally decreed to hang from a dark blue ribbon. In order to avoid confusion with the Order of the White Rose's ribbon, General Mannerheim decided on 3 July 1919 to have this medal's ribbon altered and black side stripes were adopted. On the same day a silver heraldic rose was instituted for wearing on the ribbon in case of an award for bravery.



The obverse shows the Finnish arms, a crowned rampant lion standing on a curved sword and holding a broken sword in its raised paw. The reverse shows the Cross of Liberty with in each of the upper angles an armoured arm holding a sword (as in the Cross's Military Division suspension). In the lower angles is the year "19 / 18".