ble ▁Se aman , ▁ranks ▁are ▁never ▁shown ▁on ▁these ▁med als . ▁ ▁Sus p ender ▁Sus p ension ▁is ▁by ▁a ▁small ▁ring ▁passing ▁through ▁a ▁hole ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁medal . ▁Since ▁the ▁tiny ▁ring ▁did ▁not ▁readily ▁accept ▁the ▁ ▁wide ▁plain ▁Navy ▁blue ▁rib bon , ▁many ▁recip ients ▁had ▁the ▁susp ension ▁alter ed ▁to ▁a ▁loop , ▁large ▁ring ▁or ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁bar ▁susp enders , ▁illustrated ▁alongside ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁main ▁picture ▁by ▁the ▁med als ▁awarded ▁to ▁Richard ▁S par ling , ▁Richard ▁Bond ▁and ▁William ▁J ago . ▁ ▁Re cip ients ▁Only ▁approximately ▁ 7 4 0 ▁of ▁these ▁med als ▁were ▁awarded ▁during ▁the ▁eigh teen ▁years ▁from ▁ 1 8 3 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁The ▁first ▁award ▁was ▁to ▁John ▁Her ring ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁November ▁ 1 8 3 0 ▁and ▁the ▁last ▁to ▁William ▁B one ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁November ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁ ▁Dis continu ation ▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁dis continu ation ▁of ▁the ▁anchor ▁type ▁medal ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁reverse ▁die ▁dis integr ated ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁repeated ▁use . ▁The ▁fla ws ▁in ▁the ▁die ▁can ▁be ▁disc ern ed ▁on ▁the ▁later ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁medal , ▁awarded ▁from ▁c . ▁ 1 8 4 4 , ▁and ▁are ▁very ▁notice able ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁left ▁quadr ant ▁of ▁the ▁reverse ▁on ▁med als ▁awarded