To mark the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish treaty, the government introduced a medal for issue to surviving veterans of the War of Independence, men and women who already held the 1919-1921 medal with or without 'Comrac' bar.

This commemorative medal is gilt coloured bronze in the same general design as the 1919-1921 medal, but slighty smaller in size.

This medal is officially known as 'The Truce Commemorative Medal 1971'

OBVERSE :  Same as the 1919-1921 medal.

REVERSE :  Plain with a double spray of laurel to the left and the dates 1921 - 1971 in the centre.

RIBBON :  Green edges, orange body and black centre strip.

SUSPENSION :  Jump ring attached to the top of the medal is sewn to the folded ribbon. The ribbon hangs from a bronze brooch bearing an interlaced Celtic design.

DESIGNER :  Unknown, probably departmental.

MANUFACTURER :  Jewellery and Metal Mfg. Co. Ltd, Dublin.

NUMBERS ISSUED  :  About 19,000

The 1919-1921 medals and 1921-1971 medals are sometimes seen with a brooch attached to the ribbon in the form of a rifle with the letters ' C NA MB'. This stands for 'Cumann Na mBann, the womens branch of the old-IRA, who were denied a separate medal and later created their own unofficial insignia.

As with all these Irish medals, authentication is virtually impossible as they were all issued and presented un-named.