1845/66 BRITISH NEW ZEALAND WAR MEDAL (MAORI WARS) ON ORIGINAL RIBBON OFFICIAL NAMING with PERIOD TOP BAR. Named on edge "59 JOHN CLARKE, C.S. CORPS" officially impressed. 

The medal is silver, circular, 36 millimetres (1.4 in) in diameter and with a straight bar suspender ornamented with New Zealand fern fronds. The medal was designed by the brothers A. B. and J.S. Wyon. The obverse shows an effigy of Queen Victoria facing left and wearing a diadem and veil, with the legend: VICTORIA D: G: BRITT : REG : F : D : The reverse has a laurel wreath containing the year or years between which the recipient served, with the words NEW ZEALAND above and VIRTUTIS HONOR (Honour of valour) below. Generally Colonial militia medals are undated, as were some to Imperial forces. Only 4,400 medals in total were issued to Imperial and Colonial troops. 

John Clarke served with the Commissariat Staff Corps. The Commissariat Staff Corps was a British Army unit formed in 1859 to provide administrative and logistical support to the Commissariat Department. It was composed of soldiers detached from their regiments and assigned to the Commissariat, primarily as clerks, butchers and bakers. This corps was a precursor to the Army Service Corps, which absorbed it in 1870.