Portuguese Navy Commemorative Medal from 1976

This Portuguese Navy medal was minted to celebrate the 100th anniversary (Centenary) of the Escola de Alunos-Marinheiros (E.A.M.) which was the school for apprentice sailors.  This heavy bronze medal is 3.25 inches diameter and is in its original red velvet-lined presentation box.

The Escola de Alunos-Marinheiros was originally created by royal decree on November 4, 1876, under King Luis I, to formalize the education and recruitment of young sailors into the Portuguese Navy. This specific centenary medal was struck in 1976 to commemorate the school's uninterrupted 100-year legacy of military education.),

The design on the back features three distinct eras of Portuguese sailors: A modern sailor standing at a ship's steering wheel; An older era sailor dynamically hoisting a rifle; and a silhouette in the background showing 19th-century naval apprentices carrying their sea duffels.

Measures 3.25" across