Here we have the other word in the title of the stamps, "Valour". Now that means bravery, or courage, especially in the face of a foe at war, but it actually comes down from the Vikings, for in ancient Norse it means "the dead". It also means "a place where dead lie", though, most usually a battlefield, and from that it was slightly adjusted to mean the people who had fought with glory, but not survived.
This is a very unusual medal, and yes, it was named after Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. It began in 1866, five years after his death, as a medal with a blue background, as we show here, simply because it was to be given for people who saved lives at sea. There were two classes, the first, in gold, and the second, in bronze. But most importantly it was not a medal for soldiers and sailors, it was an award for civilian gallantry. And the first recipient was a farmer, Samuel Popplestone, who helped rescue four men off a cargo ship which had been swept on to rocks in a massive gale.
In 1877 the medal was also made available with a red background for saving lives on the land, and that also came because of a single event, the Tynewydd colliery disaster. And it was first given to a physician. It also came in first and second class forms.
In 1917 the name was slightly changed, to become the "Albert Medal in Gold" (the former first class), and the "Albert Medal" (the former second class). This remained through the Second World War up until 1949, when the "Albert Medal in Gold" was removed from the medal roll and replaced by the George Cross, though the former second class "Albert Medal" was still given, posthumously. Then, in 1971, it gets even more confusing, because living recipients were given a chance to exchange their Albert Medals for George Crosses. I have also been unable to find how many were awarded during the Second World War but one day I will add that too.
This set is catalogued in our original British Trade Index part two, as :
- BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY & VALOUR. Sm. 60 x 31. Nd. (25). Back in (a) black (b) blue ... CLZ-2
And this remains virtually the same in our updated British Trade Index, as
- BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY & VALOUR. 1957. 60 x 31. Nd. (25). Back in (a) black (b) blue ... CLE-090