Victoria Cross with the recipient's name, rank, number and unit. On the reverse of the medal is a circular panel on which the date of the act for which it was awarded is engraved in the centre. The Original Warrant Clause 1 states that the Victoria Cross "shall consist of a Maltese cross of bronze". Nonetheless, it has always been a cross pattée; the discrepancy with the Warrant has never been corrected. The ribbon is crimson, 1 1/2 " (38 mm) wide. The original (1856) specification for the award stated that the ribbon should be red for army recipients and dark blue
Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor returned to using only the original 1862 inverted 5-point star design, and ceased issuing the award for non-combat action. During the "Tiffany Cross's" active status, the next lower naval award was the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, followed by the Navy Cross. By congressional action on 7 August 1942, in the same act that terminated the "Tiffany Cross", the Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Cross swapped places, with the Navy Cross also becoming solely a combat award. The US Naval History & Heritage Command asserts that 28 sailors and Marines received the "Tiffany Cross", but does not provide a list.