The Military Order of William was instituted in 1815. The order holds 4 degrees: Knight Grand Cross, Commander and Knight 3rd and 4th grade. The order was awarded for Courage (Moed), Valour (Beleid) and Faith (Trouw).

The medal was worn on the uniform or was replaced by an embroidered copy. That's why old undamaged versions are rare to find. Orders of the fourth class have been produced in different versions since first issue. The older versions have a diameter of 32mm, the latter 42mm.

Most medals were awarded during the Dutch-Belgium ten-days war in 1830 and in the Dutch Indies.

The medal on the left is an early version with a diameter of 38 mm. The branches are fixed to the cross at their outer ends.