The Arctic Medal, instituted in 1857 by Queen Victoria, was granted “to all persons of every rank and class, who have been engaged in the several expeditions to the Arctic Region, whether of discovery or search, between the years 1818 and 1855.” The original medal had the recipient’s name with the reigning monarch on one side [upper left], and the other side showed a three-masted ship surrounded by ice floes [above]. The Arctic Medal for John Hartnell, who died on January 4, 1846, was presented to his descendant Donald Bray a century later on Jan. 6, 1986. | Elle Andra-Warner/ Courtesy of Dr. Brian Spenceley