Circular light bronze medal with laterally-pierced loop for ribbon suspension; the face with the head and shoulders portrait in relief of King Mwambutsa IV Bangiricenge in military uniform, his crowned cipher to the right; the reverse with the arms of Burundi centrally within a circle inscribed ‘UMUDALI W’IBIKENURWA UBURUNDI’ (Umudali = medal but the meaning of ‘w’ibikenurwa’ has eluded us; a translation from a Kirundi speaker would be welcome); traces of metal polish which we have not attempted to remove; on what appears to be the original ribbon, though each of the few examples we have seen has had a different ribbon. The medal was most likely made in Belgium and would have been current between the date of independence from Belgium (1 July 1962) and the deposition of the king by his son in 1966. The medal is found very occasionally.
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