THE MEDAL COLLECTOR A GUIDE TO NAVAL.MILITARY AIRFORCE S? CIVIL AWARDS THE MEDAL COLLECTC Dr. STANLEY JOHNSON THE COLLECTORS' SERIES EDITED BY H. W. LEWER, F.S. 7/6 NET HERBERT JENKINS > THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Dr. STANLEY C. JOHNSON THE MEDAL COLLECTOR A GUIDE TO NAVAL, MILITARY AND AIR FORCE AWARDS BY DR. STANLEY C. JOHNSON, M.A., D.Sc. /AEDAL NOMENCLATURE. Sects rte. added, above those. THE MEDAL COLLECTOR UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME THE CHINA COLLECTOR THE FURNITURE COLLECTOR THE GLASS COLLECTOR THE EARTHENWARE COLLECTOR THE SILVER AND SHEFFIELD PLATE COLLECTOR THE STAMP COLLECTOR THE PEWTER COLLECTOR THE MINIATURE COLLECTOR THE MEDAL COLLECTOR A GUIDE TO NAVAL, MILITARY, AIR-FORCE AND CIVIL MEDALS AND RIBBONS BY STANLEY C. JOHNSON, M.A., D.Sc., F.R.E.S., WITH EIGHT PLATES fN COL- OUR AND NUMEROUS OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED 3 YORK STREET, SAINT JAMES'S LONDON, S.W.i MCMXX1 A HERBERT JENKINS' BOOK PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED LONDON AND BECCLES PREFACE IT is true that medals or, more strictly speaking, medallions, were struck by the Greeks and Romans, but the fashioning of such pieces did not resolve itself into a distinct art until the Italians produced such masters of the craft as Antonio Pisano in the fifteenth century. Pisano may be spoken of as the father of medal-craft, as we know it to-day, and many delightful specimens of his work are preserved in the British Museum. The earliest Italian conceptions served to record events, but more often proclaimed the real or alleged qualities of various people ; whilst later pieces, notably those of the Medici, filled the purpose of political propaganda, pure and simple. The utilitarian aspect of medals grew with con- siderable rapidity, and it was not long before men showed their adhesion to this or that cause by wearing a decorative badge bearing some distinctive design and inscription. At much the same time, the soldiery being deprived of its armour and, consequently, its distinguishing marks, took to wearing metal badges to denote where their allegiance lay. Such military badges being required in considerable numbers were, of necessity, made in base metal and by rough means, but it naturally followed that the 5 6 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR leaders and, later, those who performed deeds of outstanding merit, were deemed worthy of a better device. For them, a limited number of silver, gold and jewelled badges were fashioned. The role of this special form of decoration has developed into the present-day bravery medal, whilst the ordinary devices, fashioned in base metal, have their counterpart in regimental helmet plates and cap badges. In order to differentiate between the medals intended to be worn and those that are circular like coins and possess no clip attachment, there is a growing tendency to reserve the word medal for the former and to speak of the latter as medallions. It cannot be claimed, however, that the meanings here suggested are universally accepted, though the trend is to observe them, more and more, as time goes on. The present work, it should be explained, deals with pieces struck for wearing medals, in fact and describes every official award of note from the time of the Armada down to the honours won in the various theatres of the Great War. The Armada serves as our starting point because it was then that English medals were first awarded, but it may be well to state that foreign countries had struck pieces much earlier for distribution among their own fighting men. England was late in appreciating the need for conferring medals ; she was slow, too, in recognising the good feeling which such awards would engender among those who should have received them. As the student of history will note, numbers of wars which took place after the Spanish galleons were sunk receive no mention in the pages which follow for the reason that medals were not granted in connection with them. PREFACE 7 This lack of recognition of those who fought so ably led Pope to exclaim " Oh ! when shall Britain, conscious of her claim, Stand emulous of Greek and Roman fame ? In living medals see her wars enroll'd And vanquished realms supply recording gold ? " It was only when Queen Victoria lent her support to the matter that definite rules were laid down in connection with the granting of medals, and even she was faced with a weight of opposition which would have overcome a less august personage. Since her time, there has been an orderly progres- sion in the issue of these honourable decorations. The campaign pieces which form the bulk of the awards have been struck in silver at the Mint, and, as a rule, possess a diameter of one and seven-sixteenths of an inch. Forgeries are seldom quite as large. The reason for this is that spurious specimens are usually cast from original copies, and the shrinkage, inherent to the process, causes the slightly shorter diameter. Forged medals, however, are not very common, and the collector is by no means called upon to be ever watchful for their appearance. Certain early British pieces, it is true, have been imitated, and the same may be said of a fair number of continental examples ; but the general run of home issues has not fallen a prey of the counterfeiter. When fictitious specimens do arise, they can be usually detected by their spotty, pimpled surfaces, due to the contact of the hot metal with the sand or other material required for shaping the moulds. But though forged medals do not abound, the col- lector of slight knowledge must be wary of impositions, 8 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR none the less. As will be seen from the ensuing pages, the value of a piece depends in great measure upon its bars. Sometimes a certain bar is extremely rare ; at other times, it is a peculiar combination ol these added honours which makes for rarity. What could be easier than to take the bars from two or three medals and place them all on one medal ? The barless pieces would lose in value, but the overloaded specimen might gain enormously. There is even a case where a medal with one particular bar is worth more than the same medal and bar with an additional honour ! And when it is remembered that a small thing like a bar can be easily forged, much more easily than the medal itself can be, the reader will see that these tiny plates, fastened to the ribbon, require careful examination. When some rare combination is in question, the collector must verify the bars and the name engraved on the flange of the piece by hunting through the medal rolls. Then he can tell in a moment whether or not he has a genuine combination of bars and medal. The value of a specimen depends not only on the bars, but on the rank and fame of the original recipient. And when the winner of the piece is an unknown hero, his regiment counts for much. The crack corps are more sought after than those of lesser renown, but, personally, we feel that too much notice should not be taken of this factor unless exceptional circumstances are present. Groups of medals won by one individual should not be dispersed any more than large diamonds should be cut into sections to make many small ones. Four or five pieces engraved with the same name are thus PREFACE 9 worth considerably more than the same pieces won by as many different men. If the history, however slight, of the recipient of a medal can be gleaned from any quarter, this will add to the attraction of the item, and where many such histories are obtained the collection will materially benefit in point of interest and worth. With the earlier campaign awards, the clasp or other attachment was often clumsy and unsightly, and many men provided a better and more serviceable arrangement at their own expense. In such cases, pieces with the original clasp or hook are always to be preferred to those with a non-authorised attach- ment. For much the same reason, medals that have had the recipient's name obliterated and other parti- culars substituted are considered to have lost some of their value. Where the same award is given to various sections of the Navy and Army, the extrinsic worth of a naval specimen is usually greater than that of an army piece. Probably, this is due to the fact that fewer copies are, as a rule, given to the sea-service ; perhaps, the thoughts that Britain gained its supremacy by fighting on the water has also something to do with the matter. As to how the Air Force awards will compare in point of value with similar pieces given to the Navy and Army it is as yet too early to hazard an opinion. A little matter of terminology now needs a few words of explanation. A good deal of confusion exists concerning the words clasp and bar. In official circles, the two terms are often used to denote the same portion of a medal, and such looseness of expression io THE MEDAL COLLECTOR gives rise to a lack of proper understanding. In the present work we have used the word bar to denote the metal plates fixed to the ribbon, and which serve as additional honours, whilst the word clasp has been applied to the attachment which clasps the medal and joins it on to the ribbon. Before concluding these preliminary words, we have the pleasant duty of expressing our thanks to a number of friends to whom we are variously indebted. Commander Taprell Dorling, D.S.O., R.N., must be mentioned first. With a generosity characteristic of the senior service, he has placed a mass of information in our hands which has proved of the utmost assistance. Then, Messrs. Hancock, of Sackville Street, Piccadilly, spared no pains in revealing to us the mysteries attending the construction of a Victoria Cross ; they also lent us the photographs which we include of the Cross. Messrs. Debenham, Storr and Sons provided the prints of the Gold Peninsular Cross as well as the rare eleven-bar Military General Service medal. Messrs. J. R. Gaunt gathered together most of the ribbons used for the colour plates. The Air Ministry favoured us with pictures of the two flying crosses, and Mr. McMillan kindly supplied prints of the two medals for which he is responsible. The Trustees of the British Museum permitted the reproduction of a number * of pieces figuring in their collections. For all such assistance, we are indeed grateful. Mr. Charles Winter, of Messrs. Spink and Son, has given us much valuable assistance on a number of occasions, and we are anxious to record our appreciation of his generous * Plates 2, 3, 5A, 6 (A i, 2 : B i) and 24 (A 7). PREFACE ii help. Last, but not least, our thanks are tendered to Mr. H. W. Lewer, who has rendered help which it would be difficult to measure in a few words. To all we acknowledge our indebtedness. S. C. J. KEW, SURREY, 1920. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAG PREFACE - - 5 I. THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND -19 II. EARLY MEDALS OF THE HON. EAST INDIA Co. - 37 III. PENINSULAR AWARDS - 51 IV. WATERLOO AWARDS - - -63 V. THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL - -73 VI. CAMPAIGN MEDALS (FROM GHUZNEE TO THE KAFFIR RISINGS OF 1850-3) - - 89 VII. CAMPAIGN MEDALS (FROM THE CRIMEA TO CENTRAL AFRICA, 1894-8) - -113 VIII. CAMPAIGN MEDALS (FROM MATABELELAND TO THE GREAT WAR) - - 139 IX. BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA - - 181 X. THE VICTORIA CROSS - - - - 201 XI. SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. - - 222 XII. COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS .... 246 XIII. MEDALS FOR LONG SERVICE, GOOD CONDUCT, ETC. 250 XIV. REGIMENTAL MEDALS - - - 261 XV. CIVIL MEDALS - - 265 XVI. MEDALS OF THE UNITED STATES - - -281 XVII. FOREIGN AWARDS - - 291 BIBLIOGRAPHY - 3 11 APPENDIX ... - 313 INDEX- .... 318 13 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS COLOURED AND OTHER PLATES PLATE FACING PAGB 1. Ribbons of British Orders, etc. IN COLOUR Frontispiece 2. Armada and Dunbar Medals .- - 24 3. () Early Badges - 32 (b) Medals for Victories over the Dutch, 1653 - - 32 4. Ribbons of Medals for Bravery and other Special Services - - - IN COLOUR 36 5. (a) East India Co.'s Medals - - 48 () Peninsular Gold Cross and Military General Service Medal - - 48 6. (a) Waterloo and Naval General Service Medals - 64 (b) Kelat and Cabul Medals - 64 7. Ribbons of Early Campaign Medals - IN COLOUR 72 8. Gwalior Star ; also Sutlej, Punjab, and First India Medals 96 9. (a) Crimea Medals - 104 () Indian Mutiny and China Medals - - 104 10. Ribbons of later Campaign Medals - IN COLOUR 114 11. (a) New Zealand and Zulu Medals - 124 () Afghanistan Medals - - - 124 12. (a) Egyptian Medals - -132 (b) East and West ; also South African Medals - 132 13. Ribbons of recent Campaign Medals - IN COLOUR 140 15 16 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FLATS FACING PAGE 14. India and Sudan Medals - - 144 15. (a) South Africa Medals - 152 (b) Ashanti, China and Africa General Service Medals 152 16. Ribbons of Meritorious, Long Service and other Medals IN COLOUR 1 60 17. (a) Natal and Sudan Medals; also 1914 Star - - 168 (b) Medal Nomenclature - - 168 18. The British War Medal and Victory Medal - - 176 19. Ribbons of the British Police ; also U.S.A. Medals IN COLOUR 192 20. (a] The V.C. and D.S.O. ' - - - - 208 (b) The M.C. and D.C.M. * (v - - - 208 21. (a) The Military Medal - - - - 236 (b) The Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Force Cross 236 22. Ribbons of Foreign Orders - IN COLOUR 248 23. Long Service and Transport Medals - - 256 24. (a) Police, Arctic and Coronation Medals - 304 (b) Three Foreign Awards - 304 ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT Peninsular Gold Medal - - 53 Ashanti Star - ... l ^ Kimberley Star - ... l ^ Mercantile Marine Medal - - . . - 173 Garter Star - - - - 182 Thistle Star - - - - 184 Thistle Collar Badge - - . . - 184 St. Patrick Star . . - - - 185 Order of the Bath. Military Badge and Star - - 188 Order of Merit. Military Badge - - 189 Star of India. Star - - . . - 189 ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT 17 PAGE St. Michael and St. George. Badge - - - 190 Order of Indian Empire. Badge - - - 192 Order of the Crown of India. Badge 192 Royal Victorian Order. Badge - - 193 Order of British Empire. Badge - - 194 Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Badge - - 198 The V.C. Ribbon and Attachments - - 209 The V.C. The Ribbon decorated to denote one bar - - 220 The D.S.O. Ribbon and Attachments - 223 The D.S.O. The Ribbon decorated to denote one bar - 223 The D.S.C. Ribbon and Attachments 227 Bars fixed on Bravery Medals - - 229 The M.C. The Ribbon and Attachments - - - 230 The Distinguished Flying Medal - - 238 The Air Force Medal - - - 239 The Distinguished Service Cross - 245 The Albert Medal (Sea) - 245 The Royal Red Cross (ist Class) - 245 Volunteer and Territorial Officers' Decoration - 260 Royal Naval Reserve Officers' Decoration - - 260 Colonial Auxiliary Forces, Officers' Decoration - 260 The Royal Humane Society's Medals - 266 The U.S. Distinguished Service Cross and Medal - - 284 The Order of Leopold - - 291 The Order of Leopold II. - 292 Centre Medallion of Belgian Decorations - - 293 Belgian Order of the Crown - - 293 Egyptian Medal for Bravery - - 295 18 ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT PAGE Legion of Honour - 296 French Me'daille Militaire - - 297 The Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus - 299 The Military Order of Savoy - 300 The Italian Order of the Crown 300 The Order of the Rising Sun - - 301 The Order of the Tower and Sword - - 301 The Roumanian Order of the Crown - - 303 The Order of St. George - - 303 The Order of St. Andrew - - 305 The Order of St. Anne 305 The Order of St. Vladimir - - 306 The Order of the White Eagle - 307 The Order of the Medjidie - - 309 1'i.A'ii: i VICTORIA CROSS.* ORDER OP GARTER. ORDER OF THISTLE. ORDER OF ST. PATRICK. ORDER OF BATH. ORDER OF MERIT. ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE. ORDER OF INDIAN EMPIRE. ORDER OF CROWN OF INDIA. ORDER OF BRITISH EMPIRE. (MILITARY) ORDER OF COMPANIONS OF HONOUR. IMPERIAL SERVICE ORDER. ROYAL VICTORIAN ORDER. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER. ROYAL RED CROSS. ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. D.S.C. AND CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY MEDAL. RIBBONS OF BRITISH ORDERS, ETC. *The blue Navy ribbon is now obsolete. THE MEDAL COLLECTOR CHAPTER I THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND THE fashioning of medals was a craft almost unknown in England prior to the time of Henry VIII., though it had nourished long before then in such continental countries as Italy and France. Between Henry's reign and that of Elizabeth, the industry grew under the guidance of foreign artists, and by the time Queen Bess had become established on the throne we could boast of a fair number of medallists who had gained experience at their metier by designing pieces commemorative of illustrious people. After her accession, historical medals began to be frequent, and some interesting pieces can be found associated with events in Scotland, the voyages of Sir Francis Drake, the relations of the Queen with Holland, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.* In the latter, we are particularly interested, as they are the first English decorations to be conferred for war- like services. * H. A. Grueber, " A Guide to the Department of Coins and Medals " (British Museum). 19 20 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Prior to the Armada, cases are known to have existed where soldiers who had cast aside their em- blazoned armour wore medallions or badges as a dis- tinguishing sign, and out of these badges grew the earliest English medals. The Armada Medals.- Elizabeth was overjoyed at the destruction of the Spanish ships of war, and was eager to mark her appreciation of those leaders who had brought about the defeat. As a consequence she gave orders for the preparation of a number of medals, but it is probable that only three designs were used as fighting awards ; the others were given as favours to court friends. These three naval awards the Army did not participate are valuable, and it is by the rarest chance that a specimen comes on to the market. The limited number of copies that are known to exist repose chiefly in national collections, where they may be seen and appreciated by all. The British Museum is fortunate in its possession of these three pioneer medals, and every enthusiast is advised to make a point of inspecting them when an opportunity arises. The first gives, on the obverse, a full-faced bust of Queen Elizabeth, crowned, wearing a high ruff and holding a sceptre and orb. The inscription, Ditior in toto non alter circulus orbe, figures around the rim. On the reverse is a bay tree in the middle of an inhabited island. The heavens are agitated but, though lightning is flashing, the tree remains uninjured ; consequently the legend, Non ipsa pericula tangunt, is singularly appropriate. This medal records not only the defeat of the Armada, but also the averting of other dangers which THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND 21 had threatened both England and her Sovereign. The Queen of Scots was dead, James of Scotland had been conciliated, the Duke of Guise had died, and France and the Vatican were baffled. So, as the motto insists, the bay-tree is deemed incapable of injury from lightning.* The second medal is much the same, but the sceptre and orb are missing from the upper face, whilst, on the under-surface, the habitations on the island do not appear. The letters E. R. are, however, added to the sky. We are able to illustrate this rare piece by the permission of the Trustees of the British Museum. The third medal gives the Queen facing left, with pearls in her hair, and the usual ruff about her neck. The inscription on the upper side is : Elisabeth D. G. Anglie F. et H. Reg. The reverse shows the Ark-in- Flood, in allusion to the English flagship which was named the Royal Ark. Tranquilla per undas is the appropriate legend appearing on this under face. All three medals are oval, and have a small fixed ring to take the supporting ribbon or chain. The first, we believe, is to be found in gold only ; the second, in gold, silver and copper ; the third, in silver only. Each medal was cast, somewhat roughly, in high relief, and then carefully chased by hand, a process which admitted of slight variations between one piece and another. The Medals of James I. were numerous and very beautiful, but we cannot say whether any of them were used as military awards. Some were worn by * Grueber, " Guide to the Exhibition of English Medals " (British Museum). 22 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR soldiers, we know, though there is but little reason for inferring that they were won by bravery or earned by long service. One particular medal may have served either of these purposes. It was oval, cast in silver, and bore the Sovereign's bust on the obverse, and the Ark in a storm on the reverse. The design of the front face is found in two styles. In one, the King wears a broad- brimmed hat with feathers, and, in the other, he is clad in armour. It is thought that the former may have served as a civil award, and the latter as some form of military decoration. Whether this is so or not, the two pieces are very attractive, are typical of the medallic art of the time of James I., and serve as a guide to the dress of the period. The Forlorn-hope Medal. If the medal bearing the head of James I., just described, be not accepted as a military award, then the honour of conferring the first army decoration falls to Charles I., and the first recipient was Sir Robert Welch, who recovered a lost standard at Edgehill in 1642. He received for this brave act a personal medal, which gave the King's profile and that of his son on the upper surface, and a royal standard on the under face. The Welch medal for bravery was followed by a number of other individual awards during this reign. As a rule, each piece is of a different pattern, and one of the faces often bears a design which is in some way appropriate to the circumstances influencing the grant : thus Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, did splendid work as a general of the Parliamentary army during the Civil War. He received a personal medal bearing his profile. Lord Fairfax was appointed THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND 23 commander-in-chief, and for his services was given a piece specially cast and chased with his bust, whilst Lord Kimbolton, who held a command at Edgehill, was similarly rewarded. A number of other cases could be mentioned. All these medals being cast singly, or with very few duplicates, are of great value, and the private collector can do little more than admire the specimens reposing in public galleries. But Charles is remembered more for the Forlorn- hope medal than any of the others granted by him. This was an award for exceptional bravery, as the following curiously worded warrant shows : " Charles R. Trusty and well beloved, we greet you well ; whereas we have received information that those soldiers which have been forward to serve us in the Forlorn-hope, are not looked upon according to their merited valour and loyal service. We do, there- fore, require that from henceforward the Commander- in-Chief both of Horse and Foot, which lead up the Forlorn-hope upon whom also we mean to bestow special tokens of our princely favour, do signify in writing the names of those soldiers whom they find most forward in serving us, their King and country, that care may be taken to reward their deservings and make them specially known to all our good subjects For which end we have thought fit to require Sir William Parkhurst, Kt., and Thomas Bushell, Esq., Wardens of the Mint, to provide from time to time certain Badges of Silver, containing our Royal image, and that of our dearest son, Prince Charles, to be delivered to wear on the breast of every man who shall be certified under the hands of their 24 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 2 A Figs, i and 2. Obverse and Reverse of the Gold Naval Medal for the Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588. B Figs. 3 and 4. Obverse and Reverse of the Silver Medal for the Battle of Dunbar, 1650. PLATE II THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND 25 Commander-in-Chief to have done us faithful service in the Forlorn-hope. " And we do, therefore, most straightly command that no soldier at any time do sell, nor any of our subjects presume to buy, or wear, any of these said Badges, other than they to whom we shall give the same, and that under such pain and punishment as the Council of War shall think fit to inflict if any shall presume to offend against this our Royal command. And we further require the said Commanders and Wardens of our Mint to keep several registers of the names of those, and of their country, for whom they shall give their certificate. " Given at our Court at Oxford, the i8th day of May, 1643." It remains to be said that a number of registers at Oxford were destroyed by fire in the year 1644. If the Forlorn-hope registers were kept as required by the warrant they, too, were consumed by the flames. It is, however, a little curious that no rolls of the award of a later date than the fire are forthcoming, and this, coupled with the fact that no medal actually exists which is indisputably that of the " Forlorn- hope," makes it doubtful whether Charles proceeded with his scheme of rewarding the bravery of all ranks on the battle-field. The Dunbar Medal. So far, we have seen : (i) that the first war medal was the piece struck for the rout of the Armada, an award confined to the Navy ; and (2) that the Welch medal was the first Army decoration of which we have indisputable evidence of existence. Now we may turn to the Dunbar medal, which claims to be the first campaign award, that is 26 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR to say, the first award given to all soldiers entering into battle, whether field-marshals or privates. This medal was struck by the will of Parliament to commemorate the extraordinary success of Cromwell's forces at Dunbar, 1650, when an army of eleven thousand men completely overcame a superior Royalist force under General Leslie. Cromwell lost less than thirty men, but slew a hundred times as many of the enemy's hosts, besides taking a considerable army of prisoners. Thus Dunbar was worthy of some special recogni- tion, and the Commons decided to give each valiant warrior a medal bearing the great soldier's profile. Thomas Simon, a skilful medallist, being entrusted with the production, was sent up to Scotland to see Cromwell. The latter gave the artist what sittings were necessary, and, at the same time, sent a feeble protest to the Commons, saying that he would rather his profile did not appear, a show of modesty such as is seldom associated with the Protector. He went on to suggest, probably as a sort of reciprocal compli- ment, that a better subject would be a view of Parliament. When the oval medal appeared, the obverse showed an admirable bust of Cromwell, facing left, with a battle scene behind him. Around the edge was the inscription WORD AT SEPTEM THE LORD OF HOSTS DUNBAR 3. 1650. The reverse gave a view of Parliament assembled in one house with the Speaker present. It was an adapta- tion of the Great Seal of 1648. Pieces were struck in THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND 27 two sizes and in two metals, gold and silver, but a number of proofs in copper (bronze ?) and lead may be found. Some of the proofs have plain reverses. This medal, though of great historic association, is not as rare as one might expect, perhaps because it was bestowed on an army of eleven thousand men. Not so many years ago a gold specimen was sold by Messrs. Glendining for twenty guineas. The dies of the Dunbar medal were kept in the Cromwell family, " for there was an house hi the County of Suffolk where his son Richard once lived, which being purchased by one oi the Heathcotes, there was lately found (1780) in pulling down, the said dye in the walls thereof." Other Cromwellian dies fell into the hands of disreputable people, who took them across to Holland, and, later, to Geneva, where they made facsimiles from them as long as a decent impres- sion could be obtained. One of the original dies was discarded by the authorities because it was cracked, and this particular die happened to prove a great favourite with the counterfeiters. Much of their spurious work is thus easily distinguishable. Fortu- nately the forgers were not well versed in medallic knowledge, and they became very confused with the obverses and reverses, pairing them in all manner of incorrect ways. The Memisti Medals are fine specimens of the work of Simon. One pattern was struck for presentation to Captain Robert Wyard, who, whilst convoying four merchant vessels to Amsterdam, was attacked on July 31, 1650, by six Irish frigates, which he beat off with admirable courage. Wyard received a gold, and each of the crew of 28 the Adventure a silver or bronze, piece, bearing, on the obverse, an anchor supporting the shields of England and Ireland, with rope twined around them, and the word Meruisti above. The reverse gave a little picture of three ships closely engaged with four more in the rear, and the inscription, Service don against six ships, July Y, XXXI 6- August Y, i, 1650. A second Meruisti medal was struck with the Wyard obverse and the Dunbar reverse to serve as a meritorious award for seamen. The Naval Victories over the Dutch, between February and July, 1653, resulted in the issue of four kinds of medals by Thomas Simon. (1) Four copies of the following were ordered by Parliament to be struck. Two of them, with chains worth 300 each, were presented to Admiral Blake and Commander Monck ; and two with chains worth 100 each, to Admirals Penn and Lawson. Of these medals, three are known to be still in existence. Obverse. An anchor, from which are suspended three shields bearing the arms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, the whole encircled by cable. (Compare with the obverse of the " Meruisti " medals.) Reverse. A naval engagement, the stern of one vessel inscribed Simon : on the prow of another, T. S. A broad border of trophies surrounds both designs. The pieces are oval. (2) Four copies of the following were struck for presentation, with chains worth 40 each, to the four flag-officers " as a mark of Parliament's favour and good acceptance of their service." (One of these was purchased some ten years ago for 430 by Messrs. Spink and Son.) THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND 29 Obverse and Reverse. Similar to No. I, but a border of laurel leaves replaces the trophies. (3) Medals were struck for presentation to the captains of the vessels engaged ; they were similar to Nos. i or 2, but the border is absent. (4) Medals were struck for presentation to the brave men who refused to abandon Blake's flag-ship, the Triumph, when she took fire. They were as No. 3, but with the following inscrip- tion engraved on the reverse : For eminent service in saving y Triumph fiered in fight wh. y. Dutch in July 1653-* Charles n. commanded many medals to be struck. All the pieces we have been able to trace that were intended to be worn were for naval service, and none went to the Army. During this reign the Duke of York, who was Lord High Admiral, decreed that a certain percentage of all prize money should be used for the provision of medals, and " in case of burning by a fireship of an enemy's vessel of forty guns or more, each person remaining on board till the service was performed was to receive 10 and the captain a gold medal. In case of an enemy's flagship being burnt, 20 and the medal of the commander to be such as should express eminence of the service." The Battle of La Hogue, which was fought with the assistance of the Dutch against the French, resulted in a complete victory for the English (May 21, 1692). William and Mary, who had long conceived a great antipathy for Louis XIV., were overjoyed at the * All these naval medals are of great rarity, but they, or copies, may be seen in the British Museum. We have, accordingly, followed the descriptions given in the British Museum catalogue. 30 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR result, and ordered a number of medals to be struck, but all, however, were not provided with loops for suspension. Of this important group, we may single out one piece for description. It bore the jugate (i.e. placed side by side, one overlapping the other) busts of the King and Queen on the obverse, and a picture of the Soleil Royal, in flames, on the reverse. It was presented to certain officers, but not to seamen. Later, pieces were struck with this obverse and a plain reverse for presentation to seafaring men for isolated acts of bravery. When so awarded, the backs were engraved with the particulars of the incident. The fifty years which followed the Battle of La Hogue was a period in which many war medals were struck, but more than a dozen copies were seldom made of each pattern. As a rule, the reverses were engraved with particulars of the award, and the obverses bore the royal features. Few, if any, were intended to be worn as personal adornments, though some were pro- vided, later, with metal rings by those who gained them. Occasions arise when these awards can be purchased for a five-pound note, and we have seen specimens offered for considerably less. It is not every war medal collector, however, who cares to admit such pieces, without loops for attachment, to his cabinet, and it is perhaps this factor which enables the less sophisticated numismatist to secure occasional bargains. The Battle of Culloden, which resulted in a signal defeat for the Scotch, under Charles Edward, son of the Old Pretender, was marked by the issue * of * Grueber says that it is doubtful if the medal was issued. The pieces in existence to-day may be proofs. ornate pieces in gold, silver and bronze, bearing the profile of the Duke of Cumberland, called by his adversaries the " butcher." This oval medal is provided with a fanciful framework and a curious loop for suspension. The front shows a bust of the " butcher " with the word Cumberland above, and the back displays Apollo, unclothed, giving the coup de grace to a dying dragon. It is worth noting that the Culloden award was the first to be issued with a ribbon of prescribed colours (crimson with green edging). Very few copies were struck, but we have seen imitations, cast in base metal, which, whilst not pretending to be originals, are not devoid of interest. Lord Howe's Victory on the Glorious First of June, off Ushant, when he defeated the French fleet as it was making for Brest, needs no description here. King George III. and his Queen met the noble lord at Spithead on his return and thanked him in person, at the same time proffering rewards to the chief com- manders, and promising the bestowal of gold medals later on. These medals were issued in 1796 ; they are of two sizes, and struck in gold. The obverse shows a diminutive figure of Victory, placing a wreath of laurel on the head of Britannia, who is standing with one foot on a helmet. The figures are in frosted gold, whilst the remainder of the medal is burnished. The reverse bears an engraved inscription explaining the award. In the larger pieces, a wreath of laurel and oak leaves encircles the lettering, but this is absent in the smaller ones. The medal hangs from a presentation chain, when such was conferred, or from a white ribbon 32 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 3 A Such badges as shown here are considered to be the fore-runners of the War Decorations with which this book deals. It was cus- tomary for them to be worn pendant from the neck, or, less usually, as hat badges or breast ornaments. They came into use gradually after the decline of armour. The present illustrations reveal the features of Charles I. and Henrietta Maria (1-3), and Charles II. (4-6). Figs, i and 2. The Obverse and Reverse of the Medal Com- memorating the Victories over the Dutch in 1653. The work of Thomas Simon. PLATE; HI THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND 33 with wide blue edges. Officers of high rank, alone, received the decoration. A hundred and forty pieces were distributed for services rendered on the " Glorious First," * but the same award was conferred later for more than a hundred engagements and battles, such as Cape St. Vincent, the Nile, Trafalgar, and the capture of the Chesapeake, but only to officers. Davison's Medal for the Nile. The Battle of the Nile, which was fought by Nelson in Aboukir Bay on August i, 1798, resulted in a rout of the French fleet, and, at the same time, put confusion into the French Army, which had already landed in Egypt. For this success Nelson was raised to the peerage, and the chief officers were given gold pieces as stated above ; the common seamen went unrewarded. Alexander Davison, Nelson's prize agent, recognising that justice had not been done to the petty-officers and men, sought, and was granted, permission to present a medal at his own expense to every one who took part in the engagement. It is clear, from his actions, that his one desire was to reward the lower deck, but probably his petition would not have been favourably received had he not offered to confer his medal on the higher grades of officers as well. The Davison medal is circular, and a trifle large. On the obverse we are shown Britannia, who stands on the ledge of a rock, surrounded by the sea. She supports a medallion of the famous Admiral. The reverse gives the English and French fleets drawn up in a semi-circular formation in Aboukir Bay. Almighty * Lord Collingvvood's gold medal may be seen in the Royal United Service Museum. C 34 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR God has blessed His Majesty's arms is the appropriate inscription on this face. The edge is engraved with the following wording : Alexr . Davison Esqr. St. James's Square. A tribute of regard. A wide blue ribbon was provided. Gold pieces were given to admirals, com- manders and captains ; silver pieces to lieutenants and warrant-officers ; bronze-gilt pieces to petty-officers ; and bronze pieces to seamen and marines. Collectors should find no difficulty in securing specimens of this unusual medal. Gold pieces are naturally rare, and command a hundred pounds or more (Nelson's award was sold some time ago for 180) ; silver pieces are cheap at 5 ; bronze-gilt pieces are to be had for 155. ; whilst bronze pieces average a trifle less. Medals for Trafalgar. This splendid victory is represented in our cabinets by a gold piece of the same pattern as the " Glorious First of June " award. As readers have already noted, it was only given to leaders of the rank of captain and above. It is true that, many years after, Queen Victoria issued a Naval General Service medal, which had amongst its crowd of bars one for Trafalgar, which went to all who took part hi the fight. But this N.G.S. award was never seen by the majority of the heroes who helped to gain the day ; death had claimed them long before its issue. To provide an honourable badge for the men, and, incidentally, the officers, whilst they still lived, Matthew Boulton, of Birmingham, struck a large medal with Nelson's profile on one face, and a rendering of the battle on the other ; the edge was engraved : To the Heroes of Trafalgar. From M. Boulton. These were given to every member of the crews THE PIONEER MEDALS OF ENGLAND 35 engaged, and pieces can be found in silver, bronze-gilt, and pewter. The pewter strikings were not received with any show of welcome by the seamen, and many threw their copies overboard. Davison, who gave a medal for the Nile, provided pewter pieces for the crew of the Victory. This award is not very satisfactory, as it is overloaded with a mass of lettering and pictorial matter. On the one medal we have pictures of Nelson, his escutcheon and a sailing ship, also the following inscriptions : Admiral Lord Nelson, D. of Bronte, Natus Sep. 2gth, 1758. Hoste devicto requievit Oct. 21 st. 1805. Palmam qui meruit ferat. Tria juncto in uno. England expects every man to do his duty. Victory off Trafalgar over the combined fleets of France and Spain. Oct. 21, 1805, and the text : The Lord is a man of war, Exodus, c. 15, V$ The Trafalgar Officers' medal, with the figures of Victory and Britannia, is very rare. We have only known of one specimen coming under the hammer, and that fetched a trifle over 250. A pewter piece of Boulton's award can be picked up for half a guinea, though special copies have sold for six or seven pounds ; whilst Davison's elaborate Victory medal is worth something in the neighbourhood of a guinea. The Battle of Maida was fought in Calabria on July 4, 1806, by Sir John Stuart, who defeated the French, under General Regnier. To commemorate this success, King George III. ordered a gold medal to be struck for presentation to the commander-in -chief of the forces, to officers in command of brigades or battalions, and to officers who succeeded when the original commanders had become casualties. 36 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR The award gave a very fine laureated head of the King, facing left, with the inscription, Gcorgius Tertius Rex on the obverse, and, on the reverse, Britannia, in a fighting attitude, waving a spear and using her shield. In front of her is the word, Maida, in two lines, and behind, the triple-legged symbol of Sicily. The ribbon is claret with blue edges. Maida was speedily followed by the Peninsular Campaign, which is dealt with in a separate chapter. Here, therefore, our notes on the early pioneer medals of England are brought to a close. PI.ATK IV MILITARY CROSS. Ill MILITARY MEDAL. DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS. DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL. ALBERT MEDAL IN GOLD. (SEA) ALBERT MEDAL. [2ND CLASS] SEA. KAISAR-I-HIND MEDAL. ARCTIC AND ANTARCTIC MEDAL. DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL. AIR FORCE CROSS. AIR FORCE MEDAL. I ALBERT MEDAL IN GOLD. (LAND) III III ALBERT MEDAL. [2ND CLASS^ LAND. INDIAN ORDER OF MERIT. NAVAL GOOD SHOOTING MEDAL. RIBBONS OF MEDALS FOR BRAVERY AND OTHER SPECIAL SERVICES. CHAPTER II EARLY MEDALS OF THE HON. EAST INDIA CO. KEEN bidding invariably takes place when medals of the Hon. East India Co. are put up for auction. The reasons for this are many : the pieces are attractive in design, they are well made, are of fair antiquity, and, being awarded almost entirely to native Indian soldiers, have not reached our shores in any great quantity. As a group for specialising purposes, the H.E.I.C. medals may be strongly recommended to those who wish to centre their attentions on a class in which some sort of finality may be reached. Specimens, however, will be rarely obtained for less than five pounds each, and the average cost may be given as being in the neighbourhood of twice this sum. It is clear, then, that the reader who can appreciate a small select collection will find this group more compelling than will the treasure-hunter who wishes to amass much with a minimum of outlay. These H.E.I.C. medals are not only interesting in themselves, but they recall some of the most thrilling and momentous incidents in the history of the great Indian Empire. In one way, they have performed yeoman service, for it was this brilliant set of attractive pieces which taught the British Government the value 37 38 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR of instituting campaign medals. As we have men- tioned in other places, the home authorities persisted in refusing to give the rank and file any sort of decora- tion, and it was only by pointing to these Indian medals that the reformer could at last convince the officials in Whitehall of their error. Think, for a moment, of the anomaly of the situation. In many of the en- counters which helped to win for us the great Asiatic empire, we find the British Tommy and the fiery native fighting shoulder to shoulder. The chartered Company saw to it that the latter was suitably decorated for his prowess, whilst the former was denied any sort of recognition. One writer * says that the company " gave medals as a stimulus to recruiting, as it was thought that the sight of such decorations on the breasts of old soldiers would have the effect of inspiring their young relatives and friends with martial ardour. It does not seem to have occurred to the authorities that European officers and soldiers could, or would, stand in any need of a similar incentive." But we are not so much concerned with what should have been done as what was actually done, and the incidents of this period may be summarised thus (i) Between 1778 and 1824-5, the Hon. East India Company gave medals, without stint, to the native soldiers employed by them, not only for fighting against the enemy, but for meritorious conduct and long service. (ii) After 1824-5, up to the Punjab Campaign of 1849, they paid for the Indian medals granted by * Mayo, " Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy." EARLY MEDALS OF HON. EAST INDIA CO. 39 Queen Victoria's government. Certain exceptions to this rule must be noted. (iii) During the first period, 1778-1825, no British soldier of the ranks was decorated for any Indian campaign (Seringapatam excepted) , but a much belated medal was struck by the H.E.I.C. in 1851 and presented with the Queen's authority to such veterans as could be traced in the United Kingdom. It is a little difficult to say which was the first award granted by the chartered company. We have some vague mention of a medal struck for native com- missioned officers who resisted a disturbance at a place called Morighyr, but it is doubtful if a specimen is in existence, or even if the preparations for striking the medal ever matured. More definite evidence affects an award authorised by the Bombay Council for Colonel Egerton's companies of Grenadier Sepoys who went to Poona to put down a local rising in 1778. Although the authority for this medal may be seen to-day, and is clearly in order, we can find no trace of a specimen, and collectors are disposed to claim that the Poona, like the Morighyr piece, never existed. The Deccan Medal is, perhaps, the first H.E.I.C. award. It was given to every member of the Bengal Army who fought against Hyder Ali and Tippoo Sahib in the bloody encounters of 1778-84. As the army was large the awards were numerous, and specimens are not unusual to-day. The piece, which is circular, as, indeed, are all the medals described in this chapter, is struck in two sizes, and the metals used are gold, silver-gilt, and what is probably a mixture of lead and tin. The obverse shows Britannia leaning against a trophy of arms and 4 o THE MEDAL COLLECTOR holding out a wreath which she offers to a fortress flying the British flag. The reverse is filled by a Persian inscription describing the award and giving the date of its bestowal.* A ring acts as suspender, and a yellow cord enables the decoration to be worn around the neck. The prices of the Deccan medal range between 7 los. and 10 for silver-gilt specimens, less for those in base metal, and considerably more for pieces struck in gold. The Mysore Medal followed in 1793, and was given to the native officers and men, under Lord Cornwallis, who fought against Tippoo Sahib after he had en- deavoured to gain the support of France and Turkey. Pieces were struck in gold and silver, the latter in two sizes. The obverse gives a sepoy guarding a British flag and trampling on one belonging to the enemy, whilst the reverse is inscribed, For Services in Mysore, A.D. 1791-2, within a wreath of laurel. The method of attachment follows that adopted for the Deccan award. Collectors must examine copies of the silver medal with care as many forgeries have been placed upon the market. If it be remembered that the imitations were made in moulds of sand, and that genuine pieces were used as patterns, the difficulty of detecting the real and the unreal will almost disappear. The sand gives a gritty surface to the face of a cast copy, which is quite absent when the piece is struck ; also the contraction * Many of the dates on Eastern medals are those of the era of Hegira, which is computed from the time when Mahomet left Mecca for Medina. This happened in the year A.D. 622. It is well to remember that 33 years of Hegira are equal to 32 of those of our calendar. EARLY MEDALS OF HON. EAST INDIA CO. 41 of the cooling metal results in the forgeries being slightly less in size than originals (which were if or i| in. in diameter) . Some people declare that a spurious piece can be detected by counting the cannon balls at the foot of the flag-staff. This, however, is not the case ; genuine copies are found with either two or five such balls, and a like number are given on the forgeries. Mysore medals are among the most valuable of those struck by the H.E.I.C. Good silver specimens of large size command seventeen or eighteen guineas, whilst the small size would be cheap at ten guineas. There is no great dearth of these pieces, but the high prices are probably due to the fact that the Mysore Campaign was crowded with thrilling incidents, and collectors are always prepared to honour decorations that have been dearly earned. Here is one little incident of the war in question, which will show how the men fought whose medals we are describing. " One of the most dashing exploits in the war of Mysore was the capture of Bangalore, the second city in the dominions of Tippoo. It was enclosed by a high wall and a deep ditch, and the gate was covered by a close thicket of Indian thorns. The attack was made without any examination of the ground, and the troops in advancing and endeavouring to force an entrance were exposed to a destructive fire of musketry. Colonel Moorhouse, one of the best officers in the service, fell mortally wounded. At length, Lieutenant Ayre, a man of diminutive stature, succeeded in forcing his way through the shattered gate, which gallant action, being observed by General Meadows, he shouted to the stormers, ' Well done ; now, whiskers, try if you can 42 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR follow and support the little gentleman.' This ani- mated appeal succeeded ; the troops rushed through the gate into the town and drove out the enemy at the point of the bayonet." * The Ceylon Medal recalls the assistance which the Dutch extended to the French, a line of action which cost them the above-named island. In 1795-6, English forces aided by less than two hundred Bengal native artillerymen captured Ceylon, and an Order in Council, dated May, 1807, authorised the striking of a suitable medal. The native soldiers received the award whilst the English soldiers, who formed the bulk of the expeditionary force, received nothing. The piece is remarkable for its simple character. On the obverse is the inscription, For Services on the Island of Ceylon, A.D. 1795-6, whilst Persian lettering says, on the reverse, that the medal was given in connection with the hostilities in Ceylon, in the year of Hegira, 1209-10. Two gold medals and a few short of two hundred silver pieces were awarded. The yellow cord and loop attachment was provided as before. As may be expected, this item, whether in gold or silver, is of considerable rarity, and specimens are very costly. The Seringapatam Medal followed as a corollary to the defeat and death of Tippoo Sahib in the closing year of the eighteenth century. This arch-enemy of Britain was preparing to assist the French in sweeping us out of the East, when the JMarquis of Wellesley, noting the traitor's warlike activities, invaded his domains and laid siege to Seringapatam. Wellesley had certain famous regiments of the British Army as * Thomas Carter, " War Medals of the British Army." EARLY MEDALS OF HON. EAST INDIA CO. 43 supports, besides a number of native troops. With these he completely routed the enemy, and Tippoo met his death during the heat of the fighting. In the year 1808 it was decided by the H.E.I.C. to strike a medal to commemorate this important success, and, what was of considerable moment, the home forces were to participate in the awards. However, the authorities in Whitehall did their utmost to rob the men of the honour, and it was only in 1815 that permission was given them to wear the decoration when in uniform ; that is to say, they had to wait many years before they could derive the full enjoyment of their well-earned trophy. It is a little difficult to follow the plan adopted in distributing the Seringapatam award, but it may be stated in general terms that gold pieces were given to the loyal native princes and to the officers of the highest rank, and silver-gilt pieces to field-officers, silver pieces to junior officers, copper-bronze pieces to the rank and file of the British Army, and tin pieces to sepoys and other native soldiers. The obverse of the medal gave a British lion sub- duing a tiger, which latter animal was the favourite symbol of Tippoo. Above the two beasts is a banner ornamented with the Jack and an Arabic inscription which runs : The lion of God is the conqueror. In the exergue is the date. The reverse gives a view of Seringa- patam whilst being besieged. The exergue on this face is inscribed in Persian : The fort of Seringapatam, the gift of God. 28 Zulkaadeh, 1213 Mahommedan Era. Sink- ings of the award were made at the Soho Mint, in Birmingham, also at Calcutta. A good deal of controversy has arisen over the 44 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR ribbon of the medal. None was issued officially, but many people have argued that the yellow cord, favoured on former occasions by the H.E.I.C., or a wide yellow ribbon, was the correct form of suspender a con- tention which seems very reasonable. Others claim that the red ribbon with blue edging had become associated with all medals worn in England after the Peninsular War, and was, therefore, the correct kind of support. In furtherance of this argument it may be stated that a bust of Lord Harris, who commanded at Seringapatam, was shown in the Royal Military Exhibition, held at Chelsea in 1890. Around the neck of the noble lord hung the golden piece, and the ribbon that supported it was red, edged with blue. Lastly, there were people who favoured a plain red ribbon, but we can find no evidence to show that this pattern was ever authorised or suggested officially. Seringapatam medals are to be seen with fair frequency. Here is a list of average prices L s. d. Officer's gold medal, mint condition . . 52 o o Silver-gilt piece in protective glazed gold frame 15 15 o Ditto, as issued .. .. .. . . n n o Silver piece with added suspender . . 600 Copper-bronze piece, fine condition . . 200 Tin piece, according to condition . . 15$ to i. It must be noted that silver specimens are sometimes gilded by unscrupulous dealers. The Egyptian Medal. In 1798 Napoleon made his notorious descent on Egypt with the idea of cutting our communication with the East. How he was beaten EARLY MEDALS OF HON. EAST INDIA CO. 45 by Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, how Sir Sidney Smith harassed his forces in Palestine, and how Abercromby's men routed his army at Alexandria are matters of common knowledge. Here we are alone concerned with the soldiers who, under Major-General Baird, sailed from India, landed at Kosseyr, on the Red Sea, and marched across the desert to Rosetta. These H.E.I.C. forces were, by an order dated 1802, granted a medal which, however, was not issued until 1812. In that year sixteen gold and 2199 silver pieces were struck (at a total cost of 5519.8 rupees). The obverse reveals a sepoy displaying the Union flag. Behind him a battle rages, and tents are to be seen in the distance. The exergue bears a long Persian inscrip- tion which reads, This medal has been granted as a memorial of the defeat of the French army in Egypt by the victorious and brave English Army. The reverse gives a ship at sea, the Pyramids and an obelisk, also the date MDCCCI. Both the gold and silver medals for Egypt command high prices. Baldwin's catalogue recently gave the following entry : Egypt, 1801. Captain's, diameter 17 in., heavy swivel suspender, chased clasp inscribed Egypt, and gold buckle engraved " Alexandria 2ist March, 1801." Said to have been granted to a Captain Vernon of the Madras Army. Very fine, 15 los. The Medal for Rodriguez, Bourbon, and Mauritius, 1809-10. During the Napoleonic wars it became imperative to protect British merchant shipping against the attacks of French vessels which infested the trading routes to the East. Certain enemy ships made sallies 46 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR from ports in the islands mentioned above and, accord- ingly, it was deemed advisable to reduce these strong- holds. A British force aided by certain battalions of sepoys, captured Rodriguez in 1809, and Bourbon and Mauritius in the following year. The English soldiers received no medallic reward for their services (at the time), but the Indian regiments were provided with H.E.I. C. decorations, according to the following Order in Council : " On this occasion of the approaching return from the late French islands of the Volunteers from Bengal, Fort St. George and Bombay to the Presidencies to which they respectively belong, His Excellency the Vice-President in Council considers it to be no less an act of justice than of indispensable duty to record the high sense he entertains of the services performed by the Native Soldiery who were employed in concert with His Majesty's Troops in the reduction of the Islands of Rodriguez, Bourbon and Mauritius. "He is pleased to signify his approbation of the distinguished merits of the Volunteers by conferring honorary medals on all the Native Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers, Troopers and Sepoys, Gaulundauze and Gun Lascars employed on that service." We wonder if His Majesty's Troops, who received no medal for their services, ever had the opportunity of learning that the Vice-President considered that the granting of a suitable award was an act of justice and an indispensable duty ! The medal was struck in gold and silver. The obverse gives a sepoy holding an English flag and a musket. Beneath his feet is a French tricolour, and EARLY MEDALS OF HON. EAST INDIA CO. 47 behind him appears the sea. The reverse bears the legend, Rodriguez VI. July. MDCCCIX. Bourbon VIII. July 6- Isle of France III. Dec. MDCCCX., and a Persian inscription which is framed by a laurel wreath. We have only seen one copy of this medal for sale ; its price was fourteen guineas (struck in silver). As it is a somewhat uncommon item, it may be of interest to say that a specimen is to be seen in the British Museum. The Java Medal, 1811. The capture of Java, like the islands just mentioned, was necessary for the safety of British shipping. The H.E.I.C. troops, under Sir Samuel Achmuty, took part in the campaign, and over a hundred gold and six thousand silver medals were afterwards bestowed on them. The front face of this award bears a fine battle scene, depicting a sepoy regiment taking Fort Cornelis by storm. (The capture of this fort, we may mention, decided the success of the campaign.) Flying from the fort is the Union flag, above a Dutch tricolour, an arrangement which seems a little previous since the sepoys are still fighting valiantly. The under face bears a Persian inscription and the legend, Java con- quered. XXVI. August MDCCCXI. Silver pieces of the Java award may be obtained at prices ranging from ten and fourteen pounds. The Nepaul Medal was given to the troops of the chartered company who fought against the invading Gurkhas in the years 1814-16. Silver pieces were, alone, struck. The obverse shows a hilly, fortified country in the distance, and a number of bayonets and cannon peeping into view, close at hand. The latter cleverly suggest a THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 5 A Fig. i . Medal for the Battle of Maida. Fig. 2. The Hon. East India Company's Medal for Mysore. Fig. 3. The Hon. East India Company's Medal for Seringapatam. Fig. 4. The Hon. East India Company's Medal for Egypt. Fig. i. The Peninsular Gold Cross. Fig. 2. The Military General Service Medal. Obverse. Fig. 3. The Military General Service Medal. Reverse. PLATE V 3 a EARLY MEDALS OF HON. EAST INDIA CO. 49 powerful unseen force in the act of marching against strong hostile emplacements. The reverse gives a Persian inscription, which states that the medal is granted by the Nawab Governor-General Bahadar for meritorious service in the hills, in the years of Hegira 1229-30. A yellow cord was provided for suspender. In the case of the Nepaul award, pieces were only given to officers and such of the rank and file as con- ducted themselves with conspicuous bravery. It is thus a rare item, and specimens are seldom to be pur- chased. We do not think that a copy is to be found in the British Museum. The Burmese Medal o! 1824-6 was one of the last campaign awards struck by the authority and at the expense of the H.E.I.C. It was fashioned in silver for general distribution to the native forces, but one gold copy was struck for presentation to Sir Archibald Campbell. The obverse shows the forepart of an elephant, in an attitude of submission, crouching before a lion. Behind the lion is the flag of Britain, flying in the breeze, whilst behind the elephant is the drooping peacock- banner of Burmah. The elephant of Ava submits to the lion of England, year 1826, is the inscription, in Persian, which fills the exergue. The reverse gives a detachment of troops advancing towards a pagoda whilst, in the exergue, we may note the Persian in- scription, The victorious standard of the English army upon Ava. The ribbon is crimson with bine edges. Copies of this award are to be had for four or five guineas. It is sometimes listed in catalogues as the H.E.I.C.'s Ava medal. D 5& THE MEDAL COLLECTOR I The Coorg Medal ol 1837* was struck in small numbers for presentation to the native soldiers who fought nobly and courageously when suppressing the insurrection in Canara. A Coorg soldier with native weapons in his hands fills the obverse, whilst the reverse is devoted to a trophy of arms. The medal was struck in gold and silver, copies of the former having realised 40 at auction ; the latter sell for a quarter of this sum. Beyond the awards here described the Chartered Company bestowed many individual pieces on men of rank and soldiers who performed exceptional deeds, as well as Meritorious and Long Service medals on such native soldiers as earned them. All such medals are of considerable interest, and usually command high prices. * It is debatable whether this medal should be ascribed to the East India Co. or to Governmental activity. CHAPTER III PENINSULAR AWARDS A DETAILED account of the campaign in the Peninsula would be out of place in such a work as this, especially as the reader who wishes to refresh his memory may turn with ease and profit to Napier's famous " History of the Peninsular War." Here it is sufficient to say that the fighting began in August, 1808, with the Battle of Rolica, officially written Roleia in imitation of a mis-spelt dispatch, and terminated with Toulouse on April 10, 1814. The cause of the war will be found in Napoleon's attempt to strangle British commerce. Portugal, at the time in question, was the only avenue by which our merchandise could reach the continental markets and, accordingly, Junot was directed to bar the passage, and so bring about the ruin of the " nation of shopkeepers " an expression which, by the way, is attributed to Napoleon, but was coined by Adam Smith when the great Frenchman was only six years old. The way for Junot into Portugal lay through Spain, and permission to lead the French troops across this strip of neutral territory was easily obtained from the weak Spanish king, Charles IV. On reaching Lisbon, Junot found that the members of the Portuguese royal families had fled to Brazil, preferring to lose their heritage than their 52 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR heads. Success of arms in Portugal and diplomatic intrigue in Spain paved the way for a wholesale occupa- tion of both countries of the Peninsula by the French hordes. The situation was meekly accepted by Charles and his government at Madrid, but in the provinces a spirited attack was directed against the invaders. The junta of the province of Asturias led the way and impassionately declared war on their powerful adversary, at the. same time begging the British to come to their aid. This call to arms was quickly answered, and the incidents 01 the ensuing half- dozen years are responsible for the awards which we shall now proceed to describe. The Peninsular Circular Medal. When the war had been raging for a third of its allotted span, the home authorities decided to strike a gold medal for distribu- tion among those officers who had actually faced the foe. The regulations affecting the award were of a reason- able character as far as they went, but as the rank and file were ignored, we can only think that class-distinc- tions once more blinded the authorities to their duty. The gold medals were circular and of two sizes, though of one pattern. The larger pieces, which were two inches across, were given to general officers, whilst the smaller ones, a trifle bigger than a shilling piece, went to such commanding officers of corps as were not of rank inferior to lieutenant-colonels. The former medals were made to hang around the neck by means of a crimson ribbon with blue edges, the latter were provided with a short length of the same ribbon and a buckle * for fixing to the coat button-hole. Wellington * These may have been added privately, but, none the less, were generally worn. PENINSULAR AWARDS 53 did not favour the method of suspension decided on for the larger pieces. It is all right, he said, for an admiral on the quarter deck, but what about the officer who has to gallop to and fro in the field ? The medal bears on the obverse " Britannia sitting in that part of the globe called Spain and Portugal, reposing after a victorious battle. In her left hand she holds a palm-branch as an emblem of Victory, and in her right she presents a crown of laurel to the meri- torious officer, as a reward for his great skill and valour by which he has deserved well of his Country." The reverse gives a circular Peninsular Gold Medal. laurel wreath, within which is inscribed the name of a battle, with the date. As the pieces were struck to- wards the end of 1810, it was only possible to in- scribe them, at first, with the names of Roleia, Vi- miera, Corunna and Talavera, but later the following were added : Sahagun, Benevente, Martinique, Guadaloupe, Bu- saco, Barrosa, Fuentes d'Onor, Albuera, Java, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Fort Detroit, Chateau- guay, Vittoria, Pyrenees, San Sabastian, Nivelle, Chrystler's Farm, Nive, Orthes and Toulouse. Some of these engagements were fought outside the Peninsula, as, for instance, Fort Detroit, and, therefore, it can only be claimed that the name of the award, the 54 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Peninsular Gold Medal, serves in default of a better one. This Peninsular decoration, it is well to note, was the first British award of any kind to be provided with bars. As we have already indicated, the engagement for which the piece was gained was engraved on the reverse face of the medal. Second and subsequent engagements revealing meritorious service were in- scribed on bars fixed to the ribbon. The bars were very ornate ; the name appeared centrally, and around it was given a wide band of laurel leaves of an attractive character. The Peninsular Gold Cross. As the number of the engagements multiplied, it became evident that a recipient of the gold medal might be put to serious inconvenience if he were required to wear his decoration with a long string of bars attached. Wellington, for instance, gained no less than twelve mentions subse- quent to the first, which meant that were he to wear one of the circular medals with a dozen bars his decoration would be, at least, a foot long. In order to lighten the burden of glory imposed upon the most meritorious officers, and at the same time to render them distinctive, a gold cross was provided, and the method of awarding the circular medal was simultaneously revised. In the month of October, 1813, it was decided to give the circular medal for the first mention, a bar for the second, and another bar for the third mention. When four mentions had been re- ceived, the medal was replaced by the cross, to which bars were added as occasion arose. The Peninsular Gold Cross is of the Maltese variety, and bears a lion, facing right. It is more than probable PENINSULAR AWARDS 55 that this decoration suggested the pattern for the Victoria Cross. In each of the four limbs the name of an engagement is inscribed, whilst the edges of the limbs are laureated. An ornamental ring and clasp join the cross to a crimson ribbon with blue edges. As may be surmised, Wellington received the award with the greatest number of bars ; he was given the cross with nine bars. To other officers, two crosses with seven bars were given, three crosses with six bars, seven crosses with five bars, eight crosses with four bars, seventeen crosses with three bars, eighteen crosses with two bars, forty-six crosses with one bar, and sixty-one crosses with no bars. Eighty-five large gold medals' were issued and five hundred and ninety- five small gold ones. One hundred and forty-three bore one bar, and seventy-two bore two bars, leaving four hundred and sixty-nine medals without bars or clasps.* It is very difficult to say with any precision what the Peninsular medals and crosses are worth to collectors, for the status of the original owner and the particular selection of bars, if any, greatly influence the value. However, we are able to append the following figures which will at least give some idea of the prices at which these valuable decorations may be obtained : i. A group of four awards engraved with the name of Lieutenant-Colonel Russell Manners, 74th Foot : (a) A gold cross inscribed Fuentes d'Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz and Orthes. (b) A gold medal for Fuentes d'Onor with bars for Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. * Augustus Steward, " War Medals and their History." 56 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR (c) A Peninsular silver medal awarded by Queen Victoria in 1846-7, with three bars. (d) A gold badge of the Order of the Bath. The group realised 600. [Item (c) may be roughly valued at 305., and item (d) at 8.] 2. Another group of four awards engraved with the name of a lieutenant-colonel in the King's Royal Rifles : (a) A gold cross inscribed Vittoria, Nivelle, Orthes and Toulouse. (6) A gold medal for Vittoria with bar for Nivelle. (c) A Peninsular silver medal awarded by Queen Victoria, with eleven bars. (d) A gold badge of the Order of the Bath. The group realised 405. [Item (c) may be con- sidered cheap at 10, whilst item (d) would be worth about 8.] The two groups realised the figures stated at auction. The disparity in prices is due in the main to the varying amount of interest and competition prevailing at the sale, also to the fact that the gold medal in the first case possessed two bars and one in the second, and that the engagements in Group i are generally of a more attractive character than those in Group 2. The status of the original owners may be omitted from the reckoning in these particular instances. 3. A Peninsular gold cross with three bars (seven engagements in all). Awarded to a lieutenant-colonel. Price 370. 4. A large Peninsular gold medal awarded to a brigadier-general, inscribed Talavera. Price 215. (This high figure was the subject of much comment at the time of the sale.) PENINSULAR AWARDS 57 5. A small Peninsular gold medal inscribed Salamanca, with two bars for Orthes and Talavera. Price 115. 6. Another inscribed Fuentes d'Onor. The bidding at the sale rose to 95, but the piece was withdrawn as there was a reserve price of 100. 7. Another, inscribed Orthes. Price 81. 8. Another, inscribed Vimiera. Price 72. It was a practice among certain of the recipients of the cross to provide themselves with facsimiles of their awards, and to wear these instead of the originals. In this way, the risk of losing the actual piece was over- come. Such imitations were usually made of a base metal with a gilt surface, the underside being plain. Though such pieces fall considerably short of the originals in point of intrinsic and extrinsic value, they are none the less of great interest, and are well worth the collector's attention if offered at an attractive price. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 5 may be looked upon as a reasonable figure. Military General Service Medal. As we have indicated already, the rank and file fought through the Peninsular and gained no medallic award for their services, although the officers of high position were provided with gold crosses and circular pieces. If we wade through the literature of the years which followed this great conflict, we shall find constant references to the discontent that prevailed as a result of the invidious distinction drawn between the soldier of high and low degree. The conflict of opinion which was made the subject of newspaper campaigns and parliamentary squabbles was in no wise a battle between the classes. Gallant officers were in many cases just as eager that 58 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR the humble soldier should have a reward as the men were themselves. It was a superior and detached group of army and government leaders who vetoed the award, and this coterie was led by no less a person than the Duke of Wellington. To the Duke every Englishman owes a great debt, for Britain would be a very different place to-day had not his splendid generalship been forthcoming in the hour of need. We also know that tears rolled down his cheeks when he viewed the dead after Badajoz ; so that, all things considered, we must acknowledge his humane disposition. But once the campaign was over and the men had returned to their homes he seems to have spoken of the soldiers who did their duty under the most trying circumstances in a way which was contemptible. Many remarks fell from his lips which clearly show that he had forgotten to whom honour was due. After the question of awarding junior officers and men had been the subject of many bitter quarrels, the Duke of Richmond took up the matter with commend- able energy and attracted the sympathies of Queen Victoria. As a result, Her Majesty entered into a long correspondence with the Duke of Wellington, endeavour- ing, so it seems, to win him over to the side of tolerance, a needless though generous and tactful action on her part. " The Queen," she wrote, " thinks this wish (of the soldiers to have a Peninsular medal) very reason- able, considering that for recent exploits of infinitely inferior importance such distinctions have been granted by her." The Duke answered : " Your Majesty and your Majesty's servants must be the best judges upon this point, as well as whether the medal in question PENINSULAR AWARDS 59 shall be struck and granted at all or not." Nobody can claim that this reply revealed any strong desires on the part of the Duke to see the men receive their due reward. The Queen diplomatically replied : " The Duke should certainly be relieved from the appearance of having refused honours to others, but agreed to the granting of them the moment it was intended to couple the measure with an honour conferred upon himself. On the other hand, the Queen wishes the step to be taken." And the step was taken. In 1848 the circular Military General Service Medal was struck in silver and given to all soldiers of whatever rank who took part in the Peninsular Campaign. The official name of the medal, with its abbreviation M.G.S.M., was selected, as certain engagements honoured by it were fought outside the Peninsula. In cases where the actual fighters had died in the interval between the campaign and the granting of the award and many thousands had so passed away the next-of- kin could lodge a successful claim for the medal.* The obverse bears the famous profile of Queen Victoria by William Wyon, of which we shall speak later, with the date, 1848, placed beneath the head. The reverse shows the Queen, on a pedestal, placing a wreath on the head of the Duke of Wellington, who kneels at her feet. A tiny recumbent lion is seen by the side of the pedestal. To the British Army and the years, 1793-1814, are inscribed on this face of the medal. The following bars were given with the decoration : EgyPt (granted under a special order of February 12, 1850 two years after the medal was struck), Maida, * Curiously enough this privilege, we understand, was not extended to the cases where the award was for Egypt alone. 60 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Roleia, Vimiera, Sahagun, and Benevente (Sahagun and Benevente besides figuring on separate bars are also to be found together on one bar) . Corunna, Martinique, Talavera, Guadaloupe, Busaco, Barrosa, Fuentes d'Onor (the Fountain of Honour), Albuera, Java, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Fort Detroit, Chateauguay, Vittoria, Pyrenees, St. Sebastian, Nivelle, Chrystler's Farm, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse. Recipients of the medal were informed that all bars were to be worn in the same sequence as the engagements, the earliest bar being placed nearest the medal, then working upwards. The ribbon directed to be worn with the M.G.S.M. is deep crimson with blue edges. The design of both the obverse and reverse has given rise to a certain amount of comment. Old soldiers who had waited so long and grumbled so much were not at all pleased to find the figure of Wellington appearing on the belated award. Then, again, the date inscribed on the exergue, 1793-1814, requires some explanation, seeing that the Peninsular Campaign opened in 1808 and closed in 1814. Even if we check the dates of the engagements, as given on the bars, the period only embraces the years 1801-14. It is supposed that certain earlier engagements were sug- gested in the first place but were cancelled whilst the die was in process of completion. The head of Queen Victoria appearing on a medal for the Peninsular is another point that has been the subject of comment, but the reader who has noted the facts, as stated above, will see nothing peculiar in this. The Military General Service medal makes a very acceptable addition to our collection. It is rare when provided with a bar for Chrystler's Farm or Fort PENINSULAR AWARDS 61 Detroit, or when awarded to a member of the Navy or Royal Marines. One bar medals average about 2 los. a piece, but, curiously enough, one bar medals for Sahagun, Ciudad Rodrigo, Nive and Pyrenees have been known to sell at higher figures than two or three bar medals on which these engagements appear in company with others. Exceptional prices have been realised for the following : 13 bars, 30 ; 12 bars, 36 ; 10 bars, 50 ; another with 10 bars, 38 ; 8 bars, 23 i os. ; 7 bars, n guineas. Perhaps it may be of interest to the modest collector to add that the specimen reposing in our own cabinet has one bar for Toulouse, and was bought for i8s. Collectors who become attracted to Peninsular awards, and who intend to give special attention to this group, should look out for unusual combinations of bars and for pieces awarded to sections of the Army that either performed brilliant service or were repre- sented by a handful of men. Napier's history, men- tioned earlier, and Fortescue's " History of the British Army," will render much help in this pursuit. The collector will also be well advised to search for awards struck by continental powers during these years of unrest. Many such pieces are available. As a rule, they are expensive, and rightly should be, but as most enthusiasts in this country pass them over in favour of British awards, opportunities do occur of picking them up at ridiculous prices. The Portuguese Gold Cross is perhaps the most interesting decoration coming under this head. It is a weird-shaped star, having an engagement inscribed on each ray. As the number of engagements varied according to the service of the recipient, so the number 62 THE MEDAL -COLLECTOR of rays was determined. The obverse reveals a cameo profile of the King of Portugal in a central medallion, whilst this position is filled, on the reverse, by the initials of the commander to whom it was granted. A number of British officers were presented with this cross. The Portuguese Officers' Cross is another highly- prized decoration which British officers received for service in the Peninsula. It was struck in gold for presentation to those who had taken part in three or more engagements and in silver for a lesser number of encounters. The piece has four slender limbs linked together by a circular laurel wreath. The centre, on the obverse, shows a crowned shield charged with the royal arms of Portugal, whilst, on the reverse, it gives whatever figure denoted the number of engagements peculiar to the recipient. The Spanish Decoration for Vittoria is a curiously shaped cross of white enamel on which rests a red star. A laurel wreath, coloured green, runs between the limbs of the cross, whilst a fairly large crown links up the ribbon and the decoration, proper. On both faces there is a central medallion ; in the case of the obverse it is red, and displays three crossed swords, whilst the reverse is gold and inscribed, in plain lettering, Recompensa de la Batalla de Vittoria. Other pieces available under this head are fairly numerous as the Spaniards, as well as the Portuguese, were lavish in their tokens of appreciation. The Germans, also, made awards, and if we extend a welcome to the decorations struck by the enemy of those days, we shall have quite an array of continental items to swell the Peninsular section of our medal collection. CHAPTER IV WATERLOO AWARDS IN the late afternoon of the first day of March, 1815, Napoleon, with a handful of French Grenadiers and a host of unmounted Lancers, appeared in the Gulf of San Juan, whither he had come from Elba. How he gathered martial strength as the days rolled by is a matter for the history books to tell, as, indeed, are the incidents which culminated in the terrible carnage on that fateful Sunday in June of the same year. Waterloo was a victory for the English, and the Great Eagle abdicated. Eleven days later the House of Commons met to shower tributes on the triumphant army. This was no time to discuss the pros and cons of medal granting : the occasion demanded a generous and broad-minded view of such burning questions. Those who had hitherto denounced the claims of the " common soldier " to such awards either held their peace or modified their old convictions with the result that when it was suggested that a medal should be struck for presentation to everybody, from commander-in-chief to private, who had fought at Waterloo, there were practically no dissentients. 63 64 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 6 A Figs, i and 2. Obverse and Reverse of the Waterloo Medal (British). Figs. 3 and 4. Obverse and Reverse of the Naval General Service Medal. Fig. i. Kelat-i-Ghilzee Medal. Obverse. Figs. 2 and 3. The Cabul Medal. PLATE VI WATERLOO AWARDS 65 The sequel to this decision is to be found in the London Gazette of April 23, 1816 " The Prince Regent," the notice ran, " has been graciously pleased in the name and on behalf of His Majesty, to command that in commemoration of the brilliant and decisive victory of Waterloo, a medal shall be conferred upon every officer, non-commissioned officer, and soldier present upon that memorable occasion. " His Royal Highness has further been pleased to command that the riband issued with the medal shall never be worn but with the medal suspended to it." Not only was Waterloo a victory for the English nation, but the promise of the Waterloo medal was a win for the English ranker. It was the first award since the Battle of Dunbar to be received by the soldier of no name, as Henry V. used to call the ordinary private, and it was the very first occasion on which officers and men were given the same identical medal. For Dunbar, it will be remembered, pieces were struck in two sizes, and in a variety of metals, but for Waterloo there was but one size and one metal, which was silver. This equality of treatment was welcomed not only by the rank and file, but by most of the soldiers who held commissions, though the Duke of Wellington was not among their number. He strongly objected to wearing the same piece as hung on Tommy Atkins' breast, and the contemporary newspapers of all political shades cast their gibes at him in consequence. The Waterloo medal, which is circular, gives a laureated head of the Prince Regent (afterwards George IV.) with the words George P. Regent on the E 66 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR obverse and Victory, holding a palm in one hand and an olive branch in the other, on the reverse. She is seated on a pedestal inscribed Waterloo, and above her is the word Wellington. This piece is the work of T. Wyon and T. Wyon, junior, members of the famous family of engravers. The reverse they obviously adapted from a coin of Elias in the British Museum. When issued, the Waterloo medal was provided with a clumsy steel ring that fastened into an insecure clip, fixed on the medal. As this device served its purpose badly, many recipients had steel or silver slotted bars soldered on to the medal, and through this they threaded the crimson ribbon with blue edges. Specimens with altered attachments are, of course, less prized by the collector than those that appear as issued, though the amount of depreciation is not great in this case. The Waterloo medal possesses no bars to affect its value, and depends, in the main, on present condition, rank of the recipient, and name of the regiment. When a regiment filled a specially difficult role or, in any way, gained distinction, pieces received by it are greatly prized, as well they might be. Amongst the regiments the specimens of which are accounted rare, we may mention the ist (Royal) Dragoons, 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys), 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the Gloucester- shire Regiment, the Black Watch, the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, and the Gordon Highlanders. The following list of prices will serve to give the reader an approximate idea of the worth of the medal, but, as much depends on the actual condition of a WATERLOO AWARDS 67 specimen, and such can only be indicated here in a general way, we are conscious of the limited value of such a compilation. (All are with original loop, and for privates unless otherwise stated) : L *. * 2nd Life Guards, mint . . . . . . 4 15 o ist Dragoon Guards, fine . . . . 330 2nd Dragoons, mint . . . . . . 8 10 o Another, fair only . . . . . . 300 6th Dragoons, average . . . . . . 800 7th Hussars, good . . . . . . 400 loth Hussars, very good . . . . 450 I2th Lancers, average 440 I5th Lancers, fine . . . . . . 4 15 o i6th Lancers, fine . . . . "". . 4 10 o i8th Hussars, fine . . . . . . 500 23rd Light Dragoons (disbanded), fine 550 Royal Artillery, mint . . . . . . 3 15 o Grenadier Guards, fair . . . . . . 3 15 o Coldstream Guards, fair . . . . 320 Scots Guards (2nd Batt.), fair . . 450 ist Royal Scots, fine . . . . . . 4 10 o 4th King's Own, average . . . . 2 15 o i4th West Yorkshire, fair . . . . 2 10 o Another (rank of ensign), fine . . 8 17 6 23rd Welsh Fusiliers, fine . . . . 3 10 o 27th R. Inniskilling Fusiliers. Good specimens have fetched as much as 20 o o 3oth East Lanes, (rank of sergt.), mint 700 32nd Duke of Cornwall's (rank of corporal), fine .. .. .. 3 15 o 33rd Duke of Wellington's, fine . . 3 15 o 4oth South Lancashire, average . . 300 68 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR 42nd Black Watch. Good specimens s . d. have sold for as much as . . . . 15 o o 79th Cameron Highlanders, average . . 850 Another (rank of paymaster-sergeant), fine 14 o o Royal Waggon Train (rank of officer), fine 20 5 o German Regiments. (Specimens awarded to, are worth from i to 2, unless in some way unusual). A specimen impressed on the edge with the inscription, " The Master of the Mint to H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, K.G.," in a mint state, sold some little time ago for 5 10 o Pistrucci's Medal for Waterloo. Soon after the victory of Waterloo, the Prince Regent became desirous of presenting a special medal commemorating the downfall of Napoleon to the sovereigns of the allied countries, as well as to the Duke of Wellington and Blucher. The occasion, he thought, merited an award of unusual excellence and, accordingly, the foremost artists of the day were consulted in the matter. The Prince suggested that the designs for the piece should be thrown open to competition, but his advisers were all of the opinion that nobody was more competent to do the work than Flaxman (1755-1826). The latter was approached and agreed to undertake the task, which he did, and, in due course, his designs were handed to Benedetto Pistrucci, an Italian, who filled the office of Chief Medallist to the Mint. Pistrucci, being an expert engraver, was asked to cut the necessary dies WATERLOO AWARDS 69 after Flaxman's designs, but this he was unwilling to do, protesting that it was unreasonable to expect a talented man, as he was, to subjugate his art to that of another. The proper course, we think, would have been to seek for some other medallist who would not have objected to do homage to Flaxman, but the Prince submitted to the will of the foreigner and com- manded Pistrucci to make fresh designs and provide the necessary dies. For this he was to have 3500. We now come to the most curious part of the story. Thirty years after Pistrucci was commissioned to do the work, he handed in the dies to the Lords of the Treasury ! By then, every one of the allied sovereigns was dead, and Blucher had met the " grim ferryman." Wellington, alone of the intended recipients, was alive. Nor was this all : foreign diplomacy had materially altered in the three decades that had elapsed and, where favours might be showered in 1819, they could not be in 1849. The medal was, therefore, abandoned. We have searched through the literature of the time in the hope of finding some mention that might explain why the Italian engraver was induced to trifle with his commission. Our labours have been fruitless, except for the discovery of a short paragraph in an obscure print which, under the date of 1819, poked fun at the " arrogant foreigner." Was Pistrucci actuated by a sort of revenge ? Was he over-sensitive regarding his critics, or did not his labours at the Mint allow him sufficient leisure to do this extra work ? We cannot answer the questions. Undoubtedly, the medal was a masterpiece. A British Museum catalogue describes it as follows : " Obverse. Jugate busts, left, laureated, of the 70 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Prince Regent, Francis II., Emperor of Austria, Alexander I., Emperor of Russia, and Frederick William III., King of Prussia : on either side, Justice, left, and Hercules, right, seated ; above, the Sun in quadriga, left, preceded by Castor and Pollux, and followed by Iris and Zephyrus ; beneath, Night in biga, right ; before her, the Furies : behind her, the Fates. " Reverse. Wellington, and Blucher on horseback, left, guided by Victory between them : Wellington gallops in advance and Blucher rushes to his aid : above, Jupiter in quadriga facing, hurling a thunder- bolt at giants arranged in a circle. " Copper. Size 5-3 inches." The two dies, we may say, were never hardened, though electrotypes have been made and are available for collecting purposes. The Hanoverian Medal for Waterloo. It may be well to remind the reader that the first four Georgian sovereigns of England, with William IV., ruled the electorate and kingdom of Hanover, and thus when Waterloo was fought the Prince Regent held sway over this small area of Germany. In this capacity we find that in 1817 he issued instructions for the grant of a medal to be distributed to his loyal Hanoverian soldiers who took up arms in the cause against Napoleon. The terms of the award were similar to those affecting the British award, which decreed that all who performed active service, of whatever rank, were to be honoured. The medal, which is silver, is now worth about thirty shillings. The obverse gives a profile of the Prince of a more pleasing nature than that depicted on the British Waterloo medal. In this case, he faces left, and, as in the English piece, his head is crowned with a laurel WATERLOO AWARDS 71 wreath. The inscription, Georg. Prinz. Regent. 1815, runs around the edge. On the reverse face, we find a cuirass, a couple of flags and some arms, all above the legend, Waterloo. Jun. XVIII. A laurel spray, and the words Hannoversch. Tapferkeit, form an outer circle. The piece is provided with a clip and a large steel ring almost as great in diameter as the medal itself. The ribbon is crimson with blue edges, but, unlike the English ribbon, the silk is watered. The Brunswick Medal for Waterloo. The duchy of Brunswick and the kingdom of Hanover were closely allied in the days of Waterloo, and the Prince Regent was, in consequence, called upon to provide medals for the loyal Brunswickers who fought for him. In 1818-19 pieces were struck from metal derived from French cannon, the officers' pieces being gilded. The front face did honour to Duke Friedrich, who was killed in one of the engagements. It gives his profile, in military attire, and cannot be considered flattering. Around his head appear the words, in German lettering, Friedrich Wilhelm Herzog. The under face presents a laurel and oak wreath encircling the figures, 1815. As in the case of the Hanoverian medal, there is a steel clip and a fairly large ring for suspension. The ribbon is of watered blue and yellow silk. The French Medal for Waterloo. There is a pathetic interest attached to this medal, as it was struck in accordance with one of the last requests of Napoleon before he died in St. Helena, and was given in 1857 to the veterans of his broken army. The piece consisted of a circular bronze medallion surrounded by an almost circular laurel wreath, and surmounted by a crown and a ring. The medallion, on 72 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR the obverse, showed Napoleon's effigy, and, on the reverse, the inscription, A ses cotnpagnons dc gloirc, sa dernier epensee, S. Helene, 5 mai 1821 and Campagnes de 1792 a 1813. He died, it may be added, on the date mentioned, May 5, 1821. The ribbon is green with pin stripes of red (as now used for the Croix de Guerre) . We have no space to write of the remaining German and Belgian medals issued for this encounter, but sufficient has already been said to show that the Waterloo awards form in themselves a small group of great attraction. If the English medal be sought for according to regiments, the group will no longer be a small one, and where the question of expense need not be studied we suggest this form of collecting. PLATE Vll. NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE. (PENINSULAR, ETC.)' WATERLOO AND FIRST BURMAH.* INDIA, 1799-1826. GHUZNEE. JELLALABAD.f SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN. NEW ZEALAND. PUNJAB. INDIA GENERAL SERVICE 1854. CRIMEA (BRITISH). CRIMEA (TURKISH). INDIAN MUTINY. CANADA. 1866-70. ABYSSINIA. ASHANTEE, 1873-4. EAST AND WEST AFRICA. RIBBONS OF EARLY CAMPAIGN MEDALS. * When li inches wide = the Military General Service Medal of 1793-18U. t Also Medals for Afghanistan, 1842 ; Kelat, 1842; Scinde, 1843 ; and Stars for Gwalior, 1843, and Kabul to Kandahar. 1SS(). CHAPTER V THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL THIS medal ranks amongst the most interesting pieces described in the present work. It was issued by Queen Victoria in 1848 to honour the men who had gone unrewarded for the splendid sea -righting which took place between the years 1793 and 1840 ; it is thus a companion medal to the Military General Service award, mentioned in Chapter III. The obverse of the piece is identical to that described for the M.G.S.M. ; indeed, it is probable that the same die was used in both cases. The reverse gives a picture of Britannia, with her trident and a laurel spray, resting on a sea-horse ; there is no lettering on this face. The ribbon is white with dark blue edges. Every medal was issued with one or more bars, of which there were no less than two hundred and thirty different kinds. These bear the names of battles, the names of vessels, the words " Boat Service " followed by a date, or a date by itself. All these variations are carefully noted by the connoisseur, and it may be said that no separate medal has given rise to as much careful study on the part of collectors as this one. We know a 73 74 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR number of enthusiasts who devote their whole attention to the piece, to the exclusion of all others. Below, we give a complete account of all the bars with their dates and the number of pieces issued in each case. Such a list will prove invaluable to those readers who wish to know why any particular bar was granted, and whether it is rare or not. The rarity of a piece, we may say, depends not only on the rank of the recipient, but on the scarcity of the bar or peculiar combination of bars. For certain engagements, the authorities were prepared to issue bars, but no claimants came forward to secure awards, probably because all who were qualified were dead. In such cases, the engagements figure in the list which follows with the remark " No pieces issued." ENGAGEMENT BARS June 18, 1793, Nymph. Capture of the French vessel Clcopatre by Captain Pellew. Four pieces issued.* October 20, 1793, Crescent. Capture of the French vessel Reunion. 12 pieces issued. March 7, 1794, Zebra. For running the Zebra along- side the bastion of Fort Royal at Martinique and capturing the fort. Two pieces issued. May 29, 1794, Carysfort. The Carysfort, under Captain Laforey, re-captured the Castor. No pieces issued. June i, 1794, 58 vessels engaged. Lord Howe's victory. 576 pieces issued. * This passage has been compiled, chiefly, from data given in the London Gazette, but Mayo has been consulted, also W. A. Staward. THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 75 June 17, 1794, Romeny. For the capture of the French vessel Sybille, by Captain Hon. Wm. Pagel. Two pieces issued. January 4, 1795, Blanche. For capturing the French frigate Pique. Five pieces issued. March 13, 1795, Lively. For capturing the French vessel Tourterelle. Three pieces issued. March 14, 1795, 22 vessels engaged. For the action of Vice-Admiral Hotham, in which two French vessels were captured, in pieces issued. April 10, 1795, Astrcea. For the capture of the Gloire. Two pieces issued. May 17, 1795, Thetis and Hussar. For an action with four French vessels and the capture of La Raison and Prevoyante. Three pieces for Thetis and one for Hussar issued. June 9, 1795, Mosquito. For the capture of a privateer. No pieces issued. June 17, 1795, seven vessels engaged. For Vice- Admiral Cornwallis's repulse of a large French fleet. 38 pieces issued. June 23, 1795, 29 vessels engaged. For Admiral Lord Bridport's action with a French fleet, and his capture of three vessels. 201 pieces issued. June 24, 1795, Dido and Lowestoffe. For an action with the French vessels, Artemise and Minerve, in which the latter was captured. One piece for Dido and six for Lowestoffe issued. August 25, 1795, Spider. For an action with two brigs and the capture of one. One piece issued. March 17, 1796, at Port Spergui. For putting the batteries out of action and destroying certain small vessels. Four pieces issued. 76 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR April 20, 1796, Indefatigable. For the capture of the French frigate Virginia. Six pieces issued. June 8, 1796, Unicorn and Santa Margaritta. For an action with La Tamise, La Tribune and La Legere and the capture of the first two. Four pieces issued for Unicorn and three for Santa Margaritta. June 9, 1796, Southampton. For the capture of the French frigate Utile. Four pieces issued. June 13, 1796, Dryad. For the capture of the French vessel Proserpine. Seven pieces issued. October 13, 1796, Terpsichore. For the capture of the Mahonesa. Three pieces issued. December 8, 1796, Lapwing. For an action with the Decieux and Vaillante, and the capture of the former. Two pieces issued. December 19, 1796, Minerve and Blanche. The first ship captured the Santa Sabina, and the second fought an action with the Ceres. Five pieces issued to Minerve and two to Blanche. January 13, 1797, Indefatigable and Amazon. For actions off the French coast in which the latter ran aground and the crew was captured. Eight pieces issued to Indefatigable and six to Amazon. February 14, 1797, 23 vessels engaged. The Battle of St. Vincent. 363 pieces issued. March 8, 1797, San Fiorenzo. For the capture of the French vessels, Resistance and Constance. Seven pieces issued. March 8, 1797, Nymphe. Six pieces issued. October n, 1797, 25 vessels engaged. The Battle of Camperdown. 332 pieces issued. December 21, 1797, Phoebe. For the capture of the vessel Ntreide. Seven pieces issued. THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 77 April 21, 1798, Mars. For the capture of the Hercule. 26 pieces issued. May 6, 1798, Badger and Sandfty. For an action off the Island of Marcou. Three pieces issued. July 15, 1798, Lion. For an action with four Spanish ships and the capture of the Santa Dorotea. 21 pieces issued. August i, 1798, 15 vessels engaged. The Battle of the Nile. 351 pieces issued. August 7, 1798, Espoir. For the capture of the Genoese pirate ship, the Liguria. One piece issued. October 12, 1798, eight vessels engaged. For an action, under Commander Sir J. B. Warren, against a French fleet and the capture of the Hoche. 81 pieces issued. October 20, 1798, Fisgard II. For the capture of the French vessel L'lmmorlalite. Nine pieces issued. February 28, 1799, Sybille. For the capture of the French vessel La Forte. 12 pieces issued. March 18, 1899, Telegraph. For the capture of L'Hirondelle. No pieces issued. May 30, 1799, Defence of Acre. For the defence of Acre by Tigre, Theseus and Alliance, under Commo- dore Sir Henry Smith. Mr. W. Augustus Steward suggests that the date on this bar should be May 20, 1799. 42 pieces issued. August ii and 12, 1799, attack on Schiermonnikoog. The British vessels engaged were the Pylades, Espiegle, Courier, Latona and Juno. Ten pieces issued. September 13, 1799, Arrow. For the capture of the Draak and Gier. Two pieces issued. October 25, 1799, Surprise. For capturing the Hermione. Seven pieces issued. 78 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR November 6, 1799, Speedy. For successfully defend- ing a convoy and fighting an action in which a dozen enemy boats were engaged. Three pieces issued. November 22, 1799, Courier. For the capture of the Guerrier. Three pieces issued. December 26, 1799, Viper. For the capture of the Furet. Two pieces issued. February 5, 1800, Fairy and Harpy. For an action with the French vessel Pallas, which was subsequently captured. Four pieces issued to each vessel. March 21, 1800, Peterel. For the capture of the Ligurienne. Two pieces issued. March 30, 1800, Penelope and Vinciego. For a night action with Guillaume Tell, n pieces issued to the Penelope and two to the Vinciego. July 8, 1800, 18 vessels engaged. For boarding and capturing the Desiree. 23 pieces issued. August 20, 1800, Seine. For the capture of the French vessel Vengeance. Nine pieces issued. February 19, 1801, Phoebe. For the capture of the frigate Africaine. Seven pieces issued. March 8 to September 2, 1801, 117 vessels engaged. For service on the Egyptian coast. 626 pieces issued. April 2, 1801, 38 vessels engaged. The Battle of Copenhagen. 589 pieces issued. May 6, 1801, Speedy. For the capture of the Gamo. Seven pieces issued. July 12, 1801, ten vessels engaged. For an action in the " Gut of Gibraltar." 152 pieces issued. September 28, 1801, Sylph. For an action with the Artemise. Two pieces issued. October 28, 1801, Pasley. For the capture of the Rosario. Three pieces issued. THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 79 March 31, 1804, Scorpion and Beaver. For an action and capture of certain vessels. One piece issued to Scorpion and none to the Beaver. September 18, 1804, Centurion. For an action with the French vessels Marcngo, Atalante and Semillantc. ii pieces issued. February 3, 1805, Arrow and Acheron. For the most gallant protection of British merchant ships when attacked by French vessels. Eight pieces issued to the former and two to the latter vessels. February 14, 1805, San Fiorenzo. For the capture of the French vessel Psyche. 11 pieces issued. August 10, 1805, Phoenix. For the capture of the French vessel Didon. 25 pieces issued. October 21, 1805, 33 vessels engaged. The Battle of Trafalgar. 1710 pieces issued. November 4, 1805, eight vessels engaged. For the capture of four French vessels. Eight pieces issued. February 6, 1806, 11 vessels engaged. The Battle of St. Domingo. 410 pieces issued. March 13, 1806, Amazon and London. -For the capture of Marengo and Belle Poule. 27 pieces issued to Amazon and 28 to London. March 26, 1806, Pique. For the capture of the French vessels Phaeton and Voltigeur. Seven pieces issued. April 17, 1806, Sirius. For an action with a French flotilla off Civita Vecchia. 12 pieces issued. July 19, 1806, Blanche. For the capture of the Guerriere. 22 pieces issued. August 23, 1806, Arethusa and Anson. For the capture of the Spanish vessel Pomone. Six pieces issued to the Arethusa. 8o THE MEDAL COLLECTOR January i, 1807, four vessels engaged. For the capture of Curafoa. January 3, 1807, Pickle. For the capture of La Favorite. One piece issued. August 6, 1807, Hydra. For an attack on the batteries at Bergur and the capture of L' Eugene and Caroline. Ten pieces issued. August 15, 1807, Comus. For the capture of a Danish vessel. Ten pieces issued. October 28, 1807, Louisa. For an action with a French privateer. One piece issued. November 4, 1807, Carrier. For the capture of L'Actiff. One piece issued. November 24, 1807, Ann. For an action with ten Spanish gunboats and a lugger privateer. No pieces issued. March 2, 1808, Sappho. For the capture of the Danish vessel Admiral Yawl. Five pieces issued. March 8, 1808, San Fiorenzo. For the capture of the French vessel Piedmontaise. 16 pieces issued. March 13, 1808, Emerald. For the damage done to the batteries at Vivero. 12 pieces issued. March 14, 1808, Childers. For an action with the Danish vessel Lougen. Four pieces issued. March 22, 1808, Stately and Nassau. For the destruction of a Danish battleship. 25 pieces issued for the Stately and 37 for the Nassau. April 4, 1808, three vessels engaged. For an action off Rota. 20 pieces issued. April 24, 1808, Grasshopper and Rapid. For valuable service at Faro. One piece issued to each vessel. May 7, 1808, Redwing. For an action with Spanish THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 81 gunboats and effecting their destruction. Seven pieces issued. May 19, 1808, Virginie. For the capture of the Dutch vessel Guelderland. 21 pieces issued. May 31, 1808, Redwing. For the destruction of Tarifa Battery and capturing two vessels. Five pieces issued. July 6, 1808, Seahorse. For the capture of the Turkish vessel Badere Zaffer. 35 pieces issued. August n, 1808, Comet. For an action with French vessels and the capture of the Sylphe. Five pieces issued. August 26, 1808, Centaur and Implacable. For a light with Russian vessels. 38 pieces issued to the former vessel and 45 to the latter. November i, 1808, Cruizer. For an action with Danish vessels off Gottenburgh. Four pieces issued. November 10, 1808, Amethyst. For the capture of the French vessel Thetis. 37 pieces issued. December 13, 1808, six vessels engaged. For action with the batteries of the Pearl Rock and French vessels. January i, 1809, Onyx. For the recapture of the Manly from the Dutch. Six pieces issued. January 14, 1809, Confiance. For the capture of Cayenne from the French. Eight pieces issued. February 10, 1809, Horatio and Supericure. For the capture of the French vessel Junon. 14 pieces issued to the Horatio and two to the Superieure. February 23, 1809, 43 vessels engaged. For the capture of Martinique. 523 pieces issued. April 5, 1809, Amethyst. For the capture of the French vessel Niemen. 28 pieces issued. April 12, 1809, 35 vessels engaged. For the fight F 82 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR with a French squadron in the Basque Roads. 646 pieces issued. April 17, 1809, Pompee, Castor and Recruit. For capturing a French vessel. The bars are incorrectly dated June 17, 1809. 17 pieces were issued to Pompee, four to Castor, and three to Recruit. June 25 and 27, 1809, Cyane and L'Espoir. For an action with Ceres and the taking of 18 gunboats. Five pieces issued to each vessel. July 6, 1809, Bonne Citoyenne. For the capture of the French vessel Furieuse. 12 pieces issued. September n, 1809, Diana. For the capture of the Dutch vessel Zephyr. Three pieces issued. December 18, 1809, nine vessels engaged. For storming the batteries of Anse-le-Barque. 42 pieces issued. January 10, 1810, Cherokee. For the capture of the French vessel L'AimaUe Nelly. Four pieces issued. January 12, 1810, Scorpion. For the capture of the French vessel L'Oreste. 12 pieces issued. January and February, 1810, 50 vessels engaged. For the capture of Guadaloupe. 509 pieces issued. February 10, 1810, Thistle. For the capture of the Dutch vessel Havik. No pieces issued. April 24, 1810, Surly and Firm. For the capture of the French vessel Alcide. One piece issued to each vessel. April 26, 1810, Sylvia. For the capture of the Dutch vessel Echo. One piece issued. May 2, 1810, Spartan. For an action with Ceres and the capture of the Sparvieve. 32 pieces issued. May and June, 1810, Royalist. For an action in THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 83 the Channel when six French vessels were captured. Three pieces issued. July 25, 1810, Thames, Pilot and Weasel. For an action including destruction and capture of French vessels at Amanthea. 29 issued. August 9, 1810, three vessels engaged. For the capture of the Island of Banda Neira. 69 pieces issued. September 18, 1810, Boadicea, Otter and Staunch. For an action with a French squadron in which the British vessel Ceylon was recaptured. 16 pieces were issued to Boadicea, eight to Otter, and two to Staunch. October 14, 1810, Briseis. For the capture of the Sans-Souci. Two pieces issued. March 13, 1811, four vessels engaged. For an action off Lissa. 130 pieces issued. March 27, 1811. For an action in which British vessels defended themselves against a Dutch attack off the islands of Anholt. 40 pieces issued. April 6, 1811, Arrow. For an action with French batteries and the vessel Chassemarees. No pieces issued. May 20, 1811, four vessels engaged. For an action, when two French vessels were captured off Tamatave. 79 pieces issued. August 18, 1811, Hawke. For the capture of a convoy and the accompanying French guard ship. Six pieces issued. August and September, 1811, 25 vessels engaged. Capture of the island of Java. 715 pieces issued. November n, 1811, Skylark and Locust. For an action with the Boulogne flotilla. Two pieces issued to each vessel. November 29, 1811, Alceste, Active and Unitie. 84 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR For an action with French frigates at Pelagosa. 64 pieces issued. February 22, 1812, Victorious and Weasel. For an action in which the French vessel Rivoli was captured. Six pieces issued. March 27, 1812, Rosario and Griffon. For an action off Dieppe in which two enemy ships were captured. Six pieces issued to Rosario and three to Griffon. May 22, 1812, Northumberland and Growler. For the destruction of the Andromache and Arienne. 62 pieces issued to the Northumberland and four to the Growler. May 29, 1812, four vessels engaged. For the capture of two French privateers off Malaga. 17 pieces issued. July 6, 1812, four vessels engaged. For the destruction of four Danish vessels off Mardoe. 48 pieces issued. July 21, 1812, Sealark. For the capture of the Ville de Caen. Four pieces issued. December 29, 1812, Royalist. For the capture of La Ruse. Three pieces issued. April 22, 1813, Weasel. For the destruction of six French vessels in the Adriatic sea. Six pieces issued. June i, 1813, Shannon. For the famous capture of the Chesapeake. 49 pieces issued. August 14, 1813, Pelican. For the capture of the American vessel Argus. Four pieces issued. August and September, 1813, 16 vessels engaged. For an action at St. Sebastian. 292 pieces issued. October 9, 1813, Thunder. For the capture of the Neptune. Seven pieces issued. January 5, 1814, 14 vessels engaged. For the capture of the fortress of Gluckstadt. 45 pieces issued, THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 85 January 16, 1814, Venerable and Cyane. For the capture of two French frigates. 31 pieces issued to the Venerable and 18 to the Cyane. February 25, 1814, Eurotas. For the capture of the French vessel Glorinde. 32 pieces issued. March 27, 1814, Hebrus. For the capture of the French vessel L'Etoile. March 28, 1814, Phcebe and Cherub. For the capture of the American vessels Essex and Essex Junior. 28 pieces issued to Phcebe and ten to Cherub. August 17, 1814, eight vessels engaged. For a successful raid on navigation in the Potomac river. 107 pieces issued. January 15, 1815, Endymion. For the capture of the President. July 24, 1815, Malta and Berwick. For a successful attack on Gaeta. 89 pieces issued. August 27, 1816, 22 vessels engaged. The Battle of Algiers. 1362 pieces issued. October 20, 1827, n vessels engaged. The Battle of Navarino. 1137 pieces issued. November, 1840, 32 vessels engaged. For the capture of Acre and operations along the coast of Syria. 6877 pieces issued. BARS AWARDED FOR BOAT SERVICE (The figures in brackets denote the number of pieces issued.) March 15, 1793 (i). December 20, 1799 (3). March 17, 1794 (30). July 29, 1800 (4). May 2, 1797 (3). August 29, 1800 (26). June 9, 1799 (4). October 27, 1800 (5). 86 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR July 21, 1801 (9). June 27, 1803 (5). November 4, 1803 (i). February 4, 1804 (10). June 4, 1805 (10). July 16, 1806 (51). January 1-2, 1807 (2). January 21, 1807 (9). April 29, 1807 (i). February 13, 1808 (3). July 10, 1808 (8). August n, 1808 (12). November 28, 1808 (2). July 7, 1809 (33). July 14, 1809 (8). July 25, 1809(35). July 27, 1809 (10). July 29, 1809 (11). August 28, 1809 (14). November i, 1809 (117). December 13, 1809 ( Io )- February 13, 1810 (17). May i, 1810 (18). June 28, 1810 (24). September 27, 1810 (34). November 4, 1810 (2). November 23, 1810 (66). December 24, 1810 (6). May 4, 1811 (10). July 30, 1811 (4). August 2, 1811 (10). September 20, 1811 (8). December 4, 1811 (18). April 4, 1812 (4). September 1-17, 1812 (24). September 17, 1812 (n). September 29, 1812 (26). January 6, 1813 (21). March 21, 1813 (6). April 28, 1813 (2). April and May, 1813 (54). May 2, 1813 (49). April 8, 1814 (23). May 24, 1814 (n). September 3-6, 1814 (i). December 14, 1814 (117). The Naval General Service medal rarely fails to attract attention when sold at auction, but the prices show a wide range. This is due to the interesting nature of the award and the varying number of bars issued for the actions. As the latter considerably influence the value of a piece, the collector must remember that a bar is an easy thing to fake, and many of the Syria specimens, of which there were nearly seven thousand, have been frequently manipulated to THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 87 pass as copies of rarer awards. Where suspicion is aroused, the collector should safeguard himself by comparing the bars on the piece with those recorded against the recipient's name in the official rolls. The following prices have been realised : Three bars : S. Margaritta, Fisgard, Eurotas. 75. Four bars : June i, 1794, St. Vincent, St. Domingo and Martinique. 61. One bar : San Fiorenzo. 50. Three bars : Acre, Nile, Egypt, with a Davison's medal. 40. One bar : Boadicea. 40. Two bars : Sappho, Algiers. 40. One bar : Sybille. 40. Two bars : Amazon, Boat Service (Jan. 6, 1813). 38. One bar : Weasel. 36. One bar : Nymph. 35. One bar : Anholt. 31. Three bars : Nov. 4, 1805, Basque Roads, Boat Service (Sept. 27, 1810). 26 IQS. One bar : Pompee. 26. One bar : Comus. 23. One bar : Lion. 23. One bar : Lapwing. 21. One bar : Harpy. 21. One bar : Capture of the Desiree. 20. One bar : Redwing. 20. One bar : Indefatigable. 17 los. One bar : Arethusa. 17 los. One bar : Venerable. 16. One bar : Mars. 14. Two bars : Basque Roads, Gaeta. 13. 88 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Three bars : Trafalgar, Java, Syria. 11. Three bars : June i, 1794, Nile, Copenhagen. 10 IDS. One bar : Gluckstadt. 10 los. One bar : Spartan. 10. One bar : Cherub. 10. One bar : Camperdown. 10. One bar : Nov. 4, 1805. 10. Two bars : Trafalgar, Basque Roads (Midshipman). 9 i5s. One bar : Boat Service (April-May, 1813). g los. One bar : Boat Service (August 29, 1800). g. One bar : Boat Service (May 2, 1813). 8. One bar : Copenhagen (Midshipman). 8. One bar : Cura9oa. 7 55. One bar : Boat Service (Dec. 14, 1814). 6 los. Two bars : S. Sebastian, Algiers. 5. Two bars : Guadaloupe, Syria. 5. One bar : Java. 4 IDS. Two bars : Pelagosa, S. Sebastian. {3 los. One bar : June i, 1794. 2. One bar : Egypt. 2. One bar : S. Sebastian. 2. One bar : Navarino. 2. One bar : St. Domingo. i 155. CHAPTER VI CAMPAIGN MEDALS I. FROM GHUZNEE TO THE KAFFIR RISINGS OF 1850-3 IT is among the British Campaign medals that the general collector will find his work most arrest- ing, though perhaps bewildering, for here there is an almost continuous succession of silver * pieces, each one of which recalls some important encounter that, in its own time, was vital to our national prestige. With a representative set of these items we are able to reconstruct, better than in any other way, our brilliant Empire story. Here are medals that were won by heroic individuals who fought and suffered all the hardships and toils of modern warfare. Assuredly this is sufficient reason for handling these treasures not only with care but veneration. The Waterloo and first Burmah awards have been described already, and thus we are able to begin, fittingly, with a brief sketch of the troubles in Afghanistan. In the late thirties, British rule in India seemed to be menaced by Russian intrigue. Dost Mahommed, a sovereign of much popularity in Cabul, had welcomed a mission from Russia, but it is averred that he favoured * Unless other metals are specially indicated. 90 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR the lion rather than the bear. Whether this was so or not is open to doubt, but the Indian Government was of the definite opinion that Dost could not be trusted. Accordingly, Lord Auckland, with incredible folly, determined to dethrone him in favour of Shah Shoojah, who had been exiled from Afghanistan as long pre- viously as 1809. Wellesley characterised the campaign which put Auckland's plans into execution as a " wild expedition into a distant region of rocks and deserts, of sands and ice and snow." The expeditionary force, accompanied by the ill- chosen Shoojah, set out in December, 1838, under the able leadership of Sir John Keane. The journey brought all manner of hardships, but the goal was eventually reached, and Shoojah was crowned at Candahar. The natives evinced little enthusiasm for the new ruler, and many murmured that he owed his position to British bayonets, which was only too true. The first real show of disloyalty took place at Ghuznee, but this was promptly put down by Keane, who stormed the fortress on July 23, 1839, and reduced it in less than twenty-four hours, but not without a daring onslaught by the Somersets and other home and native troops. The Ghuznee Medal of 1839. To record his grati- tude, Shah Shoojah instituted the Order of the Dooranee Empire, which he bestowed on the higher command. For all who fought men as well as officers he pro- posed to issue a silver medal, but before this could be prepared he was murdered. The Government, however, proceeded with the plans already set on foot by the dead ruler and Queen Victoria sanctioned the grant of the award to all who took part in the operations. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 91 The obverse of this piece bears a fine view of the Fortress, with the word Ghnznee in a scroll beneath. The reverse consists of a circular frame of laurel leaves, within which is a small mural crown, the date 23!) July, 1839, and the recipient's name. (His regiment is inscribed on the border.) The ribbon was intended to be green and yellow, and an award so provided may be seen in the Royal United Service Museum, but crimson and green were decided on later. The metal attachment or clasp is in this case a straight bar of steel, devoid of any form of ornamenta- tion. Pieces are worth about 3 when named and in good condition, but many were issued with no name, and these may be bought for about thirty shillings. As a rule, medals given to native regiments are less prized than those which went to the home forces, and we should be disposed to give the highest prices for those inscribed with the name of the I3th (or Somerset) Light Infantry. The Jellalabad Medals. Trouble in Afghanistan proceeded, and one of the outstanding incidents of the campaign was the defence of Jellalabad. Sir Robert Sale, with a handful of followers, fortified the city and held it in the face of overwhelming odds. More than once the supply of provisions almost failed this little band of heroes, but, when hunger seemed likely to prove the deciding factor, a sudden sally into the neighbouring regions would be undertaken with a view to replenishing the food-stores. In this way, life was precariously maintained for more than six months, at the end of which time Major-General Pollock raised the siege (April, 1842). 92 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Such pluck and determination were worth rewarding, and much satisfaction resulted when a general order stated that the garrison was to be honoured with special medals. The Mint at Calcutta struck the pieces which are of an extremely severe design. The obverse shows a large mural crown, surmounted by the word Jellalabad. The reverse bears nothing beyond the inscription VII. April, 1842. The ribbon is red, white, yellow, white and blue in rainbow form, i.e. one colour merges into another. The clasp consists of a simple ring and a straight horizontal bar, hardly thicker than a piece of stout wire. This medal earned nobody's approval, being accounted clumsy and ugly by all who saw it. As a result, Lord Ellenborough, who succeeded Lord Auckland, arranged with the London Mint to strike another piece, and this was ready in 1845. Recipients of the first award were invited to apply for the second in exchange for the one already given them, but, strange to say, few made an application, although all had con- demned the original medal in no measured terms. Thus the London pattern is very rare, whilst the Cal- cutta issue is much sought after on account of its checkered history. The London medal may be described as follows : Obverse. Wyon's head of Victoria, as given on the Naval and Military General Service award, but with the words Victoria Vindex, and no date. Reverse. A winged figure of Victory holding in one hand a wreath for the victorious army and a British flag in the other. In the exergue, MDCCCXLII. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 93 The ribbon, as before. The first type of Jellalabad award sells at prices ranging between 5 and 10, whilst the second type is rarely offered ior less than 13. It is safe to say that pieces received by the British forces are considered more attractive than those won by natives, the latter being far more numerous. The Kelat I Ghilzie Medal was given by the Governor-General of India to about five hundred defenders of the fortress of Kelat who repulsed an army of four thousand Ghazees on May 21, 1842, and lesser hordes subsequently. Most of the recipients were coloured men, in fact, some fifty English alone were favoured, they being mostly in the Royal Artillery. The obverse gives a shield inscribed, Kelat I Ghilzie, with a small mural crown above and a laurel wreath around it. The reverse is filled by a trophy of arms consist- ing of a helmet, breast-plate, bayonets, colours, etc., all resting on a tablet with the legend, Invicta. MDCCCXLIL The ribbon is of the rainbow pattern, mentioned above. The clasp is a straight slotted steel bar with a hinged attachment. Pieces were struck in both silver and copper. The engraver was William Wyon. It is seldom that the Kelat medal comes upon the market, and thus its value is more or less doubtful. Some little while ago, Messrs. Spink and Sons offered a specimen inscribed with the name of a member of the 4th Compy., 2nd Battery, Royal Artillery, for 25. The Afghan Medals for Candahar, Ghuznee and 94 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Cabul, 1842. It is difficult to compress into a few lines the history of the troubles in Afghanistan and, par- ticularly, in Cabul. Shoojah's ineffective rule paved the way for Mahommed to gather about him a consider- able following. On November 2, 1841, the inflamed Afghans rose up in a body and massacred all the British they could lay hands on. General Elphinstone, who had been appointed to the command in Cabul, was infirm and impaired in health, and quite unequal to the great task of meeting the difficulties. Generals Nott and Sale were detained elsewhere. Ten thousand British and Indians left the district in the hope of get- ting through the passes to safety. One solitary man, Dr. Bryden, reached his journey's end. To avenge these excesses, Major-General Pollock led an army through the Khyber Pass and relieved Jellalabad (vide supra), and by September, 1842, had entered Cabul in triumph. A medal was subsequently issued by the Indian Government to Pollock's army. There are four varieties. All are provided with Wyon's head of Victoria and the simple inscription Victoria Vindex on the obverse, and all were given the rainbow ribbon of red, white, yellow and blue. The clasp, in all cases, was a straight bar with a V projection for attachment. The differences appear on the reverse, as follows : I. A laurel wreath and crown encircling the word Candahar and the year, 1 842. f A warded to General Nott's army for actions around the town of Candahar, chiefly to members of the 4oth Regiment, as far as the home forces were concerned.) II. A laurel wreath and crown, but inscribed Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul, 1842. (Awarded to that part of General Nott's army which served throughout CAMPAIGN MEDALS 95 the campaign and accompanied him on the march from Candahar to Cabul.) III. Inscription Ghuznee and Cabul (1842), but in this case a separate laurel wreath encircles each name. (Awarded to the army which accompanied Nott on his march from Ghuznee to Cabul.) IV. This bears the arrangement described for I. and II., but is inscribed Cabul, 1842. (Awarded to those who were brought up to Cabul to force its entry.) It may be well to state that before the above awards were struck the first China medal had been executed (see later). On this latter piece, the head of Victoria was accompanied by the inscription Victoria Regina. For some unaccountable reason, the die for the China obverse was used, in a very few cases, for striking the Afghan obverses, and thus we find instances where the word Regina figures on the medals instead of V index. Such are unusual and rare. Though the Afghan 1842 awards represent a good deal of hard fighting, we have never experienced any real difficulty in obtaining ordinary specimens of types I., II. and IV. at fairly low prices. Where special regiments are sought, or when type III. is required, considerable sums may be asked. Type III. is worth, on an average, 10. The Scinde Medal of 1843. The Scinde War arose out of the difficulties which beset the Indian Govern- ment when treating with the Ameers of the border states. The expedition was commanded by Sir Charles Napier, who gained two brilliant victories, the first at Meeanee, on February 17, and the second at Hyderabad, on March 22. On both occasions, the enemy forces were considerably greater than those 96 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 8 Fig. i. The Gwalior Star (for Punniar). Fig. 2. The Sutlej Medal. Reverse. Fig. 3. The Punjab Medal. Reverse Fig. 4. The First India General Service Medal. Reverse. PLATE VIII CAMPAIGN MEDALS 97 led by Napier, who sustained heavy casualties. At Meeanee, three thousand Indians and one regiment of English met thirty-five thousand of the foe, whilst, at Hyderabad, the enemy were four to one. The medal for these encounters closely followed the pattern of those given for Candahar, Ghuznee and Cabul. Wyon's head of Victoria again appeared but with the inscription Victoria Regina, whilst a laurel wreath and crown encircled the battle inscription, as before. In this case there are three types I. bears the wording Meeanee, 1843. II. bears the wording Hyderabad, 1843. III. bears the wording Meeanee, Hyderabad, 1843. The ribbon is of rainbow pattern, as before. Rankers, we understand, were given the medal with a steel clasp, whilst officers were provided with them in silver. The colonel of the 22nd Foot, the only English regiment to receive the award, paid out of his own pocket for his men to have silver clasps instead of the clumsy steel attachments. A few English artillerymen were given the medal, and such pieces should be sought with the original steel clip. There was, at one time, some want of understanding between the home government and the East India Company as to whether a Scinde medal should be struck, but the position was made clear by a letter, written from the Colonial Office, which we quote " Colonial Office, Downing Street, " :8th July, 1843. " The President of the India Board. " MY LORD, " I have the honour to acquaint your Lordship that the Queen, being desirous of commemorating the G 98 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR signal success obtained by the Force under the command of Major-General Sir Charles Napier in Scinde, has been graciously pleased to command that a medal, to resemble as nearly as possible that proposed for the troops employed in Afghanistan, should be conferred upon the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers in Her Majesty's Service, who were engaged in the Battles of Meeanee and Hyderabad. " Without anticipating the course which the Court of Directors of the East India Co. may propose to take for commemorating the success of the Company's troops in Scinde, I think it nevertheless right to add that Her Majesty would readily permit the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers of the Com- pany's Army to whom the Court of Directors might think proper to grant Medals in commemoration of the Battles, to wear such Medals in all parts of Her Majesty's Dominions. " I have to remain, etc. " STANLEY." Prices of the Scinde medals vary considerably. Native awards are less treasured than those given to the home forces, and we often find that one-name pieces fetch more than those with two, which is some- what anomalous. A sprinkling of naval men took part in the encounter, and their awards are much favoured. The Gwalior Stars of 1843. The state of unrest along the Indian frontiers had given rise to considerable apprehension, and the storm clouds gathered late in 1843, when the Gwalior army was reported to be committing acts of hostility within British territory. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 99 Nana Sahib had been previously deposed without any reference to the central government. Lord Ellen- borough considered that the time had come to interfere. An ultimatum was sent to the Mahrattas, who treated it with contempt. Sir Hugh Gough then led a force against the enemy and fought a desperate battle at Maharajpoor on December 29, 1843. On the same day, a second battle took place near Punniar under the leadership of Major-General Grey. A victory for the British resulted in both cases, and, later, the following regiments were decorated : the 9th and i6th Lancers, the Buffs, the 39th and 4oth Foot, the Queen's Own, and various native forces of the East India Company. The decoration, fashioned in Calcutta, consists of a six-rayed star, the metal being obtained by melting down cannon captured in the battles under question. In the centre of the star is a smaller star and a circular plate of silver inscribed Maharajpoor or Punniar, 2qth Deer. 1843. Gough was given a star with a small silver elephant instead of a circular plate. The reverse was inscribed with the name, rank, and regiment of the recipient. The star was issued with a brass (?) hook, and was intended to be slipped into an eye worked on the coat, but this mode of attachment did not appeal to those who were the fortunate recipients. As a result, it became a general thing to fix privately, and quite without authority, a brass clasp through which a rainbow ribbon was threaded. All sorts of clasps were provided, straight slot bars, fanciful curved bars, and even large circular steel rings were de rigueur. So universal was this practice of adding to the star that ioo THE MEDAL COLLECTOR we cannot recall having ever seen a single decoration in its original state. The Gwalior star is not rare : pieces can often be bought for half a guinea. Awards of the Lancer regiments fetch more than the Foot regiments, and both are more valued than when given to native forces. With the original hook, the star is, of course, very desirable. The China Medal of 1842. Leaving affairs in India for a brief space, we must turn our thoughts to China during the time when Afghanistan was in a state of ferment. The opium trade had long given rise to a condition of strained relationship in Chinese diplomatic circles, which reflected but little credit on British merchants. However, Captain Elliot acceded to all the wishes of the Chinese in the year 1839, one of his acts being to decree that every chest of opium on board British trading vessels should be handed over to the Imperial Government and destroyed. This one act alone should have been sufficient to convince China that we were now loyal to her interests, but it had no such effect. Commissioner Lin knew that our hands were full with affairs in Cabul, and took advantage of the situation by enacting that all trade between England and China should cease for ever. So pre- posterous an edict was bad enough, but when outrages were committed on English seamen matters reached a climax. A state of war was declared, and a number of forts were soon captured by our blue-jackets. Things moved too swiftly for the far-eastern power, and an armistice was sought, but this was used to gain time in reorganis- ing the army and strengthening certain fortresses. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 101 Fighting, accordingly, recommenced, and the British by employing both sea and land forces, brought the war to a successful close in August, 1842. The medal, which was given to all who took part in the fighting, was the first piece to be issued (as distinct from earned) with the head of Queen Victoria on the obverse. Here are the full particulars Obverse. A profile of Queen Victoria by William Wyon and the words Victoria Regina. Reverse. A palm tree amidst a trophy of arms in which the shield of Great Britain figures prominently. Around the circular edge of this face are the words Armis Exposcere Pacem. In the exergue, China, 1842. The clasp is a plain slot bar, but no engagement bars were issued. The ribbon is crimson with moderately wide edges of dull yellowish gold. The award was distributed to British and Indian regiments as well as to a considerable force of naval men. Medals inscribed for the latter section are probably worth a trifle more than those of the others, but the difference is seldom great. A minimum price is ten shillings. As the reverse of this medal was used subsequently, we must be careful to note the date, 1842, in the exergue. The Sutlej Medal. The Sikhs have had a long and turbulent history, but their military prowess, as far as it concerns us, may be said to commence with the organisation of the native army by Ranjit Singh. This ruler trained his forces until they became highly skilled and, being arrogant by nature, there soon came a time when each man was filled with a desire to measure his strength against any comer. Ranjit 102 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR knew how to handle his army, but when he died, in 1839, there was no one who could control its ambitions. It wanted to fight, and an enemy must be found. The Sikhs themselves had beaten the Afghans, and the Afghans had given the British some hard blows, so why not invade the fertile lands of the East India Co.? The Sutlej was accordingly crossed on December 12, 1845, and though the British suffered great losses the campaign resolved itself into four battles, all of which the enemy lost. The medal given for this war was the usual circular silver piece, almost similar in size to a five-shilling piece. The obverse shows the Wyon profile of Queen Victoria and the words Victoria Regina. The reverse is filled by a full-length figure of Victory, facing left, holding a wreath and a spray of palm. At her feet are some implements of war, whilst around her appear the words Army of the Sutlej. The exergue on this face will be found in four patterns : (a) is inscribed Moodkee, 1845. (&) ,, Ferozeshuhur, 1845. (c] ,, ,, Aliwal, 1846. (d) Sobraon, 1846. A soldier serving in only one of these battles was given a medal with the exergue inscribed with the name and year of the battle : if he served in two or more battles, his medal bore in the exergue the name and year of the first engagement, and bars were awarded for the second and subsequent battles. As has always been the custom, the bar worn nearest the medal was CAMPAIGN MEDALS 103 for the earliest encounter among those indicated by bars. The collector will note that the only previous award to be provided with these added honours was the officers' Peninsular medal. Recently we were offered by an obscure dealer a Sutlej medal bearing the name Aliwal in the exergue and Ferozeshuhur and Sobraon as bars. This is, of course, an impossible combination, since Ferozeshuhur was the earliest of these three battles, and would, therefore, appear on the exergue and not as a bar. The dealer adopted a lofty attitude when we pointed out the impossible nature of his treasure which bore either a faked bar or a bar belonging to some other specimen. We have even heard of, but never seen, a bar for Moodkee, a thing which does not exist officially, as this battle honour, whenever it was awarded, appeared on the medal itself. The ribbon is blue edged with crimson. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern, which was used on many subsequent occasions. The price of this medal does not stand high, con- sidering its age and the number that are still available for collections. Without a bar, it may be picked up for ten shillings, but with three added honours a reason- able figure is three guineas. For special regiments, or rank above a private, more may be safely paid. The Punjab Medal. On the conclusion of the Sikh War of 1845-6, Lord Hardinge, the Governor-General of India, proclaimed a protectorate, but this proved a disastrous step. " The native council was corrupt, the Queen-Mother unworthy of respect, and the army still strong enough to resent defeat." Accordingly, the new rule began plotting against England almost from the 104 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 9 A Fig. i. The Crimea Medal (British). Obverse. Fig. 2. The Crimea Medal (British). Reverse. Fig. 3. The Turkish Medal for the Crimea. Reverse. Fig. I. The Indian Mutiny Medal. Obverse. Fig. 2. The Indian Mutiny Medal. Reverse. Fig. 3. The China Medal of 1857-60. Reverse. PLATE IX tm CAMPAIGN MEDALS 105 beginning and, when Afghanistan promised to lend it support, lost no time in committing acts of hostility. This was in 1848. Lord Gough took command of the British Army, and met the enemy at Mooltan (Sept. 7, i848-Jan. 2, 1849), Chilianwala (Jan. 13, 1849), and Goojerat (Feb. 21, 1849). In the latter battle, the Sikh army was practically destroyed, and the Punjab suffered annexation. The Punjab medal was a fina piece of workmanship. The obverse gives Wyon's head of Victoria and the inscription, Victoria Regina, as before. The reverse has a striking tableau of Major-General Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert (Lord Gough ?), on horse- back, at the head of a British army. Before him is the enemy laying down its arms. Flags and palm trees figure in the background. The inscription is " To the Army of the Punjab. MDCCCXLIX." The ribbon is deep blue with a stripe of yellow nearly touching each edge. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern. The three bars are inscribed Mooltan, Chilianwala, Goojerat. (It should be noted that the Punjab medal, shown facing p. 48, displays the bars in an incorrect order. They happen to be soldered together and cannot be disconnected. We understand that the original owner wore them thus for many years, which shows that even soldiers are sometimes mistaken as to how their decorations should be displayed.) The market price of the Punjab award is not high, though it is a piece which every collector should aim at securing, if only for its fine appearance. Specimens usually command from ten to twenty shillings, according to the number of bars and the general condition. If 106 CAMPAIGN MEDALS possessing no bars, it is well to examine the piece to see if it is one of the hundred odd awards bestowed on the men of the Indian Flotilla who fought at Mooltan and perhaps elsewhere. If so it is very rare. The 24th Regiment was almost annihilated at Chilianwala ; awards that went to these men are much prized. The India Medal of 1799-1826 appears out of place in the present sequence, but it was not distributed until 1851, and, thus, we may rightly refer to it after the India medals just described. It must be remem- bered that in the late forties Her Majesty Queen Victoria decided that a Naval and a Military General Service medal should be struck, mostly for the sea and land engagements against Napoleon. Work almost as strenuous had been performed by the Army hi India during the first quarter of the century, and on repre- sentations being made to the Queen by the East India Company, Her Majesty ordered that the men who had fought in the contests from Allighur to Bhurtpoor should be rewarded. The London Gazette for Feb- ruary 28, 1851, contained the following notice : " East India House, "25 February, 1851. " Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to assent to a Medal being granted to the surviving officers and soldiers of the Crown, and of the East India Company, who were engaged in the several services enumerated in the following list, notice is hereby given that general and other officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the East India Company's Army who are entitled to this honorary distinction are to apply for the same to the Secretary to the Council of Directors of the East India Company, and to send at CAMPAIGN MEDALS 107 the same time in writing a statement of the claim in what action, and at what period of time, they served, accompanied by any certificates calculated to sub- stantiate. the claim. " List of Services for which the India Medal is to be granted : Storm of Allighur, September 4, 1803. Battle of Delhi, September n, 1803. Battle of Assay e, September 23, 1803. Siege of Asseerghur, October 21, 1803. Battle of Laswarree, November i, 1803. Battle of Ar gaum, November 29, 1803. Siege and Storm of Gawilghur, December 15, 1803. Defence of Delhi, October, 1804. Battle of Deig, November 13, 1804. Capture of Deig, December 23, 1804. WarofNcpaul, 1816. Battle of Kirkee and Battle and Capture of Poona, November, 1817. Battle of Seetabuldee and Battle and Capture of Nagpoor, November and December, 1817. Battle of Maheidpoor, December 21, 1817. Defence of Cory gaum, January i, 1818. War in Ava, 1824-6. Siege and Storm of Bhurtpoor, January, 1826." This medal possesses an obverse giving Wyon's head of Victoria and the words Victoria Regina. The reverse provides a figure of Victory, seated, holding in the left hand a wreath and, in the right, a spray of olive. At her feet are weapons, and behind, a palm tree. The inscription runs, To the Army of India. In the exergue^is the date, 1799-1826. (It io8 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR should be noted that the above engagements only cover the period 1803-1826, in spite of the mention in the exergue.) The artist was Wyon. The ribbon is a plain pale blue. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern. The bars represented the encounters mentioned in the above " list of services." This is a rare medal, as the following quotations, taken from one of Messrs. Spink and Son's lists, will show : One bar: Kirkee (European Regt.). Very fine. 20. One bar : Poona (ist Batt. and N.I.). Very fine. 25. One bar : Kirkee and Poona (Sergt. Europn. Regt.). Very fine. 25. One bar : Maheidpoor (Native 31 st L.I.). Fine. . One bar : Maheidpoor (Native 27th N.I.). Fine. One bar : Maheidpoor (Native 2nd 3rd L.I.). Fine. 15. One bar : Nepaul (Surgn. ist N.I.). Very fine. 8 IDS. One bar : Ava (Lieutenant, 5th Light Cav.). Fine. 7. One bar: Ava (Captain, 43rd N.I.). Very fine. 12. One bar : Ava (Leading Man, " Liffey "). Very fine. 3 IDS. Steward says, " Only four medals were issued with the single bar for Seetabuldee and Nagpore, and one CAMPAIGN MEDALS 109 of these with the edge impressed and verification of award to a man of the 39th Native Infantry realised 74 at auction. Nineteen only were issued for Assaye, thirteen for Gawilghur, twenty-six for Maheidpoor, forty-eight for Laswarree, seventy-nine for Corygaum, but only a few of any of these to Europeans." Delhi, Ava, and Bhurtpoor are amongst the commonest items. First India General Service Medal. In 1852 a second war arose in Burma which had its origin in a multitude of grievances that existed between the British and native traders at Rangoon. When it was time to issue a medal to those who had taken part in the campaign, Lord Dalhousie advised the home authorities to strike a piece which could be re-issued on subsequent occasions. The past had brought forth a host of different medals for India, and those in power were desirous of checking their continued growth in numbers. Dalhousie's suggestion was welcomed, and the India General Service medal appeared at the outset on the breasts of these who had fought in Burma. It was rendered distinctive from later awards by a bar for Pegu. The obverse gives the usual profile, by William Wyon, of Queen Victoria with the words Victoria Regina. The reverse shows a winged figure of Victory crowning a seated warrior. The latter is draped as a classic figure, but we must confess that his features suggest a person living in the middle of the nineteenth century, and not a Roman, as is implied by the shape of his sword. This side of the medal is the work of L. C. Wyon, son of William (who had died in 1851). The ribbon is scarlet and deep blue in alternate no THE MEDAL COLLECTOR stripes of equal width, three of the former and two of the latter. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern. The bars, twenty-three in number, are inscribed : Pegu, Persian North-West Frontier, Umbeyla, Bhootan, Looshai, Perak, Jowaki 1877-8, Naga 1879-80, Burma 1885-7, Sikkim 1888, Hazara 1888, Burma 1887-9, Chin-Lushai 1889-90, Samana 1891, Hazara 1891, N.E. Frontier 1891, Hunza 1891, Burma 1889-92, Lushai 1889-92, Chin Hills 1892-3, Kachin Hills 1892-93, Waziristan 1894-5. The India General Service medal is a very difficult award to price with any claim of accuracy, since it is twenty-three medals struck in one pattern. We have seen specimens offered at prices ranging from five shillings to three pounds, and more might be reasonably asked for curious combinations of bars or where the award has gone to a soldier of high rank. The Navy, it is well to note, has participated occasionally in the grants of the I.G.S.M. The South Africa (Kaffir) Medal o! 1850-3. The many Kaffir wars may be said to have started in 1798, but the outbreak in 1834 was on a larger scale than any of its predecessors. On this occasion the British secured a decisive victory, and it was thought that peace and prosperity might reign for many a long year. Unfortunately, further risings took place in 1846 and 1850. When, in 1854, a settlement had been once more reached, the authorities decided to strike a suit- able medal to be given to the forces which formed part of the expedition of 1850-3. Then arose a cry from the friends of those who had fought in 1846 and 1834. If the fighters of the fifties are to be rewarded, CAMPAIGN MEDALS in why should not those of the thirties and forties, they queried ; and there was much reason in the argument. As was usual in these early years, there were people in authority who did their utmost to cut down the grants of medals, and these parsimonious officials characterised the agitation as absurd. The wars of 1834 an d ^^ were finished and done with, and it was unreasonable, they urged, to begin lavishing medals on men who were mostly out of the Army and, we might add, in many cases, dead. However, wiser counsels prevailed, and it was agreed to make the award to all who had taken up arms in 1834-5, 1846-7, and 1850-53. The same piece was struck for the three occasions, and only by noting the regiments which fought in each war and comparing the inscription on the rim can we tell for which period of hostility any particular medal was awarded. In 1834-5 the following regiments were engaged : the 27th, 72nd, 75th Foot. In 1846-7 ; the 7th Dragoon Guards, the 6th, 27th, 45th, 79th, Qoth, gist Foot, and the Rifle Brigade. In 1850-3 ; the I2th Lancers, the 2nd, 6th, I2th, 43rd, 6oth, 73rd 74th, gist Foot, the Rifle Brigade, various Marines, a Naval Brigade, and the Cape Mounted Rifles. (In cases where a medal belongs to a regiment which fought in more than one of the above periods, it is impossible to decide for which war it was granted.) The obverse of the medal gives Wyon's usual profile of Queen Victoria with the inscription Victoria Regina. The reverse shows a lion crouching under a bush. Above it are the words South Africa, whilst in the 112 exergue is the date 1853 and, in very small letters, L. C. Wyon. The clasp is of the usual scroll pattern. The ribbon is pale orange with four dark blue, almost black, stripes, watered. Near the edges the blue stripes are fairly wide, but the inner ones are narrow. There are no bars (compare, however, the South Africa medal of 1877-9). Twelve to fifteen shillings is a fair price to pay for this award. CHAPTER VII CAMPAIGN MEDALS II. FROM THE CRIMEA TO CENTRAL AFRICA, 1894-8 THE Crimea Medal. The causes of the Crimean War were many, but, viewing them at this distant date, we may state that Russia's desire to hold Constantinople, England's fear of the Czar's encroachment on her eastern possessions, Turkey's religious intolerance, and France's desire to divert strife at home to unrest abroad, were the main factors which led to hostilities. In 1853, the Czar determined to be recognised as the guardian of the Christians living within the Sultan's territory, and to enforce his desires sent a Russian army into the Danube provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia. This was a clear act of war, and when he refused to withdraw his forces, a half of Europe blazed into conflagration. On September 14 an allied army of sixty thousand men arrived at the Crimea and were quickly landed, north of Sebastopol. The battle of the Alma was the first serious encounter, and the siege of Sebastopol began some short while later. The war was expected to be of short duration, but so many mistakes were made and so great was the unpreparedness of the English and French that it dragged on until 1856. H3 H ii 4 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR While the conflict was still raging, that is to say, in December, 1854, the Queen decided that a medal should be struck with bars for the Alma and Inker mann, and, three months later, a further bar was authorised for the deathless ride of Balaklava. Sebastopol and Azoffwere decided on later. The obverse of the Crimea medal gives the profile of Queen Victoria with the words Victoria Regina, by W. Wyon. The reverse is filled by a fine tableau depicting a full-length warrior, in ancient dress, holding a shield and sword. Victory, who is flying up to him, places a wreath of laurel on his head. The word Crimea is printed in a stiff vertical line, which robs the warrior of some of his agile appearance. In small type appears the imprint, B. Wyon, Sc. The ribbon is pale blue with yellow edges. The clasp is unlike any other, being composed of bent palm stalks. The bars, it must be noted, are not worn in the order in which they were authorised. Alma is placed next to the medal, then comes Balaklava, followed by Inkermann and Sebastopol. This is the Army award ; the Navy was given bars for Azoff, Balaklava, Inker- mann and Sebastopol. Thus, although there were five bars, nobody received more than four. Some pieces were awarded with no added honours. The bars were elaborately shaped, consisting of oak leaves with acorns at the terminals. Crimean medals are by no means rare, in fact, they are unreasonably cheap when one considers the price paid for them by our brave soldiers. A " no-bar " piece can be bought for six shillings ; for one-bar pieces PLATE X. PI SOUTH AFRICA, 1877-9.* CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. AFGHANISTAN, 1878-80. Ill EGYPT, 1882-9. KHEDIVE S EGYPT STAR. NORTH-WEST CANADA. BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA CO.'S MEDAL. CENTRAL AFRICA. INDIA, 1895. ASHANTI STAR, 1895-6. EAST ANDCENTRAL AFRICA 1897-9. QUEEN S SOUTH AFRICA 1899 .1902. SUDAN, 1896-8. KHEDIVE S SUDAN 1896-1905. KING S SOUTH AFRICA, 1901-2. RIBBONS OF LATER CAMPAIGN MEDALS. *The South Africa ribbons for 1831-5, 1S40-7. 1850-3 have much darker stripes CAMPAIGN MEDALS 115 of either Inkermann or Sebastopol, we may be asked eight and six. A four-bar piece with Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann and Sebastopol, awarded to a sergeant of the Coldstream Guards, has sold at auction for thirty-five shillings, and a three-bar piece, with Alma, Balaklava, and Sebastopol, has gone for thirty shillings. Naval awards fetch higher prices, and those for regiments which took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade are naturally much sought after. Such regiments are as follows : the 4th and i3th Light Dragoons, the 8th and nth Hussars, the I7th Lancers, and the 93rd Highlanders. A four-bar piece for any of these is worth about six guineas. Unnamed pieces, and there are many, are not prized, as a rule, and awards made to the French are less valued than those given to our own troops. The Turkish Crimea Medal. The " sick man " of Europe struck a Crimean medal for presentation to the allied forces. It is silver, similar in size to the British award, and depends from a pinkish-red ribbon with crude green edges. The obverse bears the Sultan's monogram and the year of Hegira, '1271, all within a wreath. The reverse shows a stand of the allied flags, with a map of the Crimea, hanging across a gun. In the exergue is the inscription, Crimea 1855. The Sultan prepared three varieties of the medal, one for the English, one for the French, and one for the Sardinians (Italians). In the English, the Union Jack appears in the place of honour, whilst the inscription in the exergue is as mentioned above. In the French, the tricolour fills the honoured position, whilst the inscription is La Crimea, 1855. In the Sardinian, the u6 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR flag of Italy is the third from the left, and the wording is Crimee, 1855. The ship which set out to carry the English pieces to our shores foundered, and many of the home troops had to be content with French or Sardinian awards. There is some doubt as to the form taken by the original clasp, provided with the Turkish medal, but we believe it to be as illustrated in the present work. Many pieces are found with " Waterloo " steel rings, and others with the curved scroll clasp, as used for many of the English awards, already mentioned in these pages. These, however, it may be supposed, were added privately. The Sultan's medal is only worth a few shillings. When forming a pair with the English award, the two should not be parted. A Sardinian Crimean medal was also awarded to a limited number of English troops (see p. 306). The Baltic Medal. " Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to signify her commands that ' a medal shall be granted to the officers and crews of Her Majesty's Army as were employed in the operations in the Baltic in the years 1854-5, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty hereby give notice of the same." Such was the note in the London Gazette of June 6, 1856, announcing that a medal was to be given to those sailors and soldiers who had been engaged in maintaining the blockade of the Baltic during the Crimean War. The obverse of the medal is similar to that given for the Crimea. The reverse gives Britannia seated on a pedestal, looking over her shoulder, and holding a trident. The CAMPAIGN MEDALS 117 ports of Sveaborg and Bomarsund appear in the dis- tance. In the exergue is the date iSj^-i^j, whilst above Britannia is the word Baltic. L. C. Wyon was the engraver. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern. The ribbon is the reverse of that given for the Crimea, being yellow with blue edges. There are no bars. Most of the medals were issued unnamed, and these are the cheapest to buy. As fewer pieces were given to the Army than the Navy, the former attain the highest figures at auction. The Indian Mutiny Medal. In 1856 the East India Company was at war with Persia, and Great Britain found itself occupied with China ; also British troops had been recently hurried from their eastern garrisons to fight in the Crimea. These embarrassments seemed to provide the Bengal native army with the opportunity it desired to mutiny, but an excuse had to be found. The introduction by the British of greased cartridges was the flimsy argument seized upon to enter into revolt. The grease, it was averred by the seditionists. consisted of hogs' lard and cow fat, the former being a substance abhorred by the Mohammedan, and the latter an article the use of which violated the religious veneration of the Hindoo. To force these ingredients on the people of Northern India was, so the revolu- tionary leaders claimed, merely the beginning of a system of religious intolerance on the part of the British. The Mutiny burst into flame at Meerut (May, 1857) and spread to Delhi, Cawnpore, Lucknow, Mooltan, and other centres with lightning speed and terrible n8 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR consequences. When, in 1859, a medal was struck it was decided to issue five bars, as follows : (i.) Delhi. To those who took part in the fighting around this centre between May 30 and September 14, (ii.) Defence of Lucknow. To the forces which formed part of the original garrison or which fought under Havelock or Outram until relieved by Sir Colin Campbell. (iii.) Relief of Lucknow. To the men who served under Havelock whilst endeavouring to effect the relief of the City. (iv.) Lucknow. To those who fought under Sir Colin Campbell between November, 1857, and March, 1858, in the neighbourhood of Lucknow. (v.) Central India. To those who took part in the encounters of Jhansi, Gwalior and Calpee. (vi.) The medal without a bar was given to those who fought under Lord Roberts and General Whitlock, subsequent to the taking of Kotah, on March 30, 1858. The obverse of the Mutiny medal gives the usual profile of Queen Victoria with the inscription, Victoria Regina. The reverse shows an attractive rendering of Britannia holding out a wreath of laurel, having at her side a lion. The word India is placed above her head and, in the exergue, appears the date 1857-1858. The engraver of this face was L. C. Wyon. The clasp consists of a curved scroll, but of a different pattern to any of the foregoing medals. The ribbon has five stripes of equal width, two of scarlet and three of white. The bars, which are wider at the extremities than CAMPAIGN MEDALS 119 at the centre, are spoken of as fish-tailed bars. They are five in number (vide supra). Medals with the Defence of Lucknow added as an honour are, of course, prized most. Here are a few useful catalogue quotations : One bar : Defence of Lucknow. Fine copy. 2 155. Two bars : Lucknow and Relief of. Fair copy. 255. Three bars : Delhi, Lucknow and Relief of. Mint copy. 3 5s. One bar : Central India. Fine copy. los. One bar : Delhi. Fine copy. 125. 6d. One bar : Lucknow. Fine copy. los. 6d. No bar : Fine copy. 8s. 6d. No bar : (Awarded to Indian Naval Brigade.) Very fine. 2 los. The China Medal of 1857-60. The second war with China resulted from an accumulation of hostile acts chiefly concerned with trading operations, but the capture and violation of the Arrow, a ship flying the British flag, brought matters to a head. At first, the fighting was entrusted to a naval force assisted by Marines under the command of Admiral Seymour. This able leader destroyed the Chinese fleet in the Battle of Fatshan, 1857. Later a line regiment and some Marines landed and stormed the forts of Canton. As a result of this second success, a treaty was prepared, and when the British envoy was proceeding up the river Peiho to obtain the necessary signatures to it, he was fired on and forced to turn back. The war then entered upon a more serious phase : some thousands of British and French troops were 120 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR collected and, led by Sir James Hope-Grant, captured the Taku Forts and, later, took Canton and Pekin. In 1 86 1, a China medal was struck but it was, in reality, a re-issue of the 1842 medal with slight differences. The obverse is exactly similar to the earlier piece. The reverse is the same, but the date, 1842, is omitted from the exergue. The ribbon, at first, was blue, yellow, red, white and green, in equal widths, but for some unaccountable reason this was changed to crimson with yellow edges, the crimson being much deeper than in the 1842 ribbon. The clasp is identical to that described for the Mutiny medal. The bars, which are of the fish-tail shape, are inscribed China, 1842. (For those who already possessed the 1842 medal.) Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1858, Taku Forts 1860, Pekin 1860, and Fatshan 1857, the latter for the men who fought under Admiral Seymour. The second China medal is not rare unless in ex- ceptional condition. Copies may be freely purchased, without bars, for five or six shillings, whilst with one bar about ten shillings is a fair price, and with two bars, fifteen shillings. However, a specimen was sold for thirty shillings at auction some time ago with the honour Taku Forts 1860, and inscribed with the name of an acting-master of the H.M.S. Bernici (Indian Navy). Pieces for the ist Dragoon Guards with the two bars, Taku Forts 1860 and Pekin 1860, are very uncommon. Only one five-bar medal was issued, and it is highly prized by Lord Cheylesmore.* * According to Mr. Augustus Steward. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 121 The New Zealand Medal. Between the years 1860 and 1866 the Maoris of New Zealand, under a chief named Wirrimu Kingi, caused much trouble with respect to the sales of land to white settlers. In particular, there was one block of land known as the Waitara purchase which was offered to the British Government, and when it was accepted and paid for the natives resented the transaction and took up arms rather than allow the Government settlement to pro- ceed. A somewhat similar state of affairs had arisen in 1845-7, when fighting resulted owing to the natives taking money for territory against which they would give no valid title. On one occasion, a British magis- trate when proceeding to a Maori encampment, hoping to settle a dispute, was killed, and the local chief, Hone Heke, tore down the colour from a British flagstaff. In 1869 a medal was struck for presentation to the soldiers who had served in the warfare between 1845-7 and 1 860-6. (It is clear that the earlier encounters would have gone unrewarded had not the later hostilities taken place.) The obverse of the New Zealand piece reveals a profile of Queen Victoria, which appears on no other campaign medal except that given for Abyssinia. She faces left, and her crowned head is heavily veiled. Running around the effigy is the inscription Victoria D : G : Britt : Reg : F : D : The reverse contains a laurel wreath, outside which are the words New Zealand, Virtutis Honor. Within the wreath is a date, appropriate to the period of active service of the recipient. Medals may be found with twenty-two different dates, being combinations of the 122 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR years 1845, 6, 7 and 1860, i, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 ; also pieces are to be had with no dates, but they are unusual. Each different date, it is interesting to note, was struck by a separate die. Both faces of the medal are the work of J. S. and A. B. Wyon. The ribbon consists of two stripes of deep blue with a central width of red. The clasp comprises a plain ball from which project straight arms, chased with the design of fern fronds. No other medal has used this arrangement. There were no bars, the dates on the reverse serving the purpose. The medal with 1845-7 dates is worth on an average from two to five pounds, and with 1 860-6 dates from fifteen shillings to two and a half guineas. Pieces have sold for slightly higher figures, it is true, but they have possessed special peculiarities. The Abyssinian Medal. In 1867 it became necessary to send a force into Abyssinia to punish Theodore, the Negus, who had imprisoned a number of British residents because the English did not view with favour his quarrels with the Khedive of Egypt. Theodore did not make a good stand against our trained soldiers, and ended by committing suicide. In 1869, a medal was struck for presentation to those who took part in the campaign under Sir Robert Napier. The authorities were growing tired of the stereotyped pattern of the awards which had prevailed since Waterloo, and decided to strike out in a new direction, not, we think, with great success. Accord- ingly, a piece was designed consisting of a circle of silver, slightly smaller than customary, which was CAMPAIGN MEDALS 123 surmounted by a crown and ring, the latter for taking the loop of ribbon. The obverse consists of a bust of Queen Victoria, crowned and veiled as on the New Zealand award, but of considerably smaller dimensions. Around the head is a circle from which nine points of a star radiate. Between the limbs of the star appear the letters, A-B-Y-S-S-I-N-I-A. The reverse gives a laurel wreath, in the centre of which are printed the particulars of the recipient. In the case of the awards given to the English forces, these particulars are shown in raised letters, and, consequently, necessitated a separate die for the striking of each piece a most expensive and unusual plan to follow. In the case of the awards that went to the men of the Indian forces, the particulars are en- graved by hand. In their case the silver suspension ring is replaced by a steel clip. Whether this was always so with the Indian awards, we cannot say, but all the pieces handled by us have been engraved and provided with a steel clip. The ribbon of the Abyssinian medal is slightly wider than usual, being composed of wide white outside bars, and a still wider bar of red. Pieces are worth from fifteen to twenty shillings with the raised lettering on the back, but not more than half these sums for the engraved reverses. Both varieties, however, are worth placing in the collection. The Ashantee Medal, 1873-4. Trouble arose in Ashantee, in the year 1871, over a strip of disputed territory which ran between the Prah river and the Gold Coast. The British had exchanged the island of Sumatra with the Dutch for this piece of land, but the 124 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE n. A Fig. I. Medal for New Zealand. Obverse. Fig. 2. Medal for New Zealand. Reverse. Fig. 3. The South Africa (Zulu) Medal of 1877-9. Reverse Fig. I. The Afghanistan Medal, 1878-80. Obverse. Fig. 2. The Afghanistan Medal, 1878-80. Reverse. PLATE XI CAMPAIGN MEDALS 125 local king, Coffee Calcali, claimed it as his own. Whilst the English were preparing to give him proof of their rights, the savage ruler marched on the town of Elmina and endeavoured to capture it. This he was not able to do, but Sir Garnet Wolseley's forces, though they were able to check him, were not sufficiently strong to secure a victory, and much time was lost in waiting for more troops to sail from Europe. On reinforcements arriving, Coffee Calcali was beaten and forced to retire as well as to give up his abominable practices of sacrificing human lives by way of amuse- ment. (" The March to Coomassie," by G. A. Henty, gives an admirable, though sordid picture of the life and surroundings of this degenerate king.) In 1874 a medal was struck for the campaign of 1873-4, and, as it has been re-issued since, the collector must note its particulars with care. The obverse bears a profile of Queen Victoria of a fresh presentation, similar to that afterwards used on the familiar medal for Egypt, 1882. It is the work of L. C. Wyon. The reverse gives Sir E. J. Poynter's picture of a bush fight. To the left of a centre tree are English soldiers, with the sun blazing on them, whilst, to the right, are natives bared to their waists for the fray. The clasp is officially described as straight. The ribbon is yellow with two wide edges of black and two inner narrow bars of the same colour. The bar is inscribed Coomassie. (On a later medal this town is spelt differently.) Fifteen shillings is a fair price for this medal. The South Africa (Zulu) Medal of 1877-9. The story of how Goghill and Melvill gained the Victoria 126 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Cross for concealing the Queen's colour at the Buffalo river is probably the most popularly appreciated incident of the Zulu War of 1877-9. Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift are also household words, but we are more concerned here with the medal which was given to all the soldiers who took up arms against Cetewayo and his trained hordes. This piece was a re-issue of the award struck in 1854 to commemorate the Kaffir risings of 1834, 1846, and 1850. The obverse shows a return to the old profile of Queen Victoria by William Wyon. The reverse depicts the crouching lion of the earlier South African piece, but in the exergue are a Zulu shield and spears. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern. The ribbon is orange with four dark blue, almost black, stripes, watered. Near the edges, the blue stripes are fairly wide, but the inner ones are narrow. The bars are inscribed with the dates 1877-6, 1877-8-9, 1878-9 and 1879. No recipient received more than one added honour. The points of difference between the Kaffir and Zulu strikings are Kaffir (1834, 1846, 1850). Zulu (1877). The date, 1853, in the A Zulu shield and spears exergue of the reverse. in the exergue of the reverse. The ribbon is pale orange. The ribbon is a medium coloured orange. There are no bars. Bars were issued. The 1877 piece is often obtainable for seven-and- sixpence, though mint specimens command a trifle more. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 127 The Afghanistan Medal of 1878-80. In the early seventies, Shere All, the ruler of Afghanistan, found himself in financial and other difficulties. On appealing to the British Government, assistance was given him conditionally that he acted impartially to the powers which bordered on his territory. At the same time, an agreement was drawn up with Russia, constituting Afghanistan as a neutral country. After a few years it was found that Shere Ali was intriguing with the Czar's government, and according his ambassadors privileges which were not extended to the Queen's plenipotentiaries. A party of diplomats was, therefore, despatched to Cabul to inquire into the reasons for this lapse of good faith, but it was not allowed to proceed beyond Ali Musjid. The British Government considered this an act of hostility, and declared war, which Shere Ali met by declaring, on his part, a holy war. Of the subsequent events, the march from Kabul to Kandahar by Lord Roberts, with some twenty thousand followers, is perhaps the most outstanding. When the campaign had been brought to a successful conclusion it was proposed to grant the India General Service medal with appropriate bars, but the Queen pointed out that this special piece was intended for " little wars " which was not a fair description of the incidents then terminating in Afghanistan. Her Majesty gave orders for the striking of a special piece, which was issued in 1881. It may be described as follows : Obverse. A profile of Her Majesty, not used either before or since, with the inscription Victoria Regina et Imperatrix, the work of J. E. Boehm. Reverse. A picture of a British army in full 128 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR marching order. An elephant carrying a gun is the central figure : near it is an officer mounted on a horse. In the background are mountains and the word Afghanistan. In the exergue, 1878-79-80. The reverse, we understand, was sketched by Randolph Caldecott, and engraved by L. C. Wyon. Clasp. Straight. Ribbon. Green with wide edges of purple red. (This ribbon may be spoken of as being ubiquitous among the Chelsea Pensioners at the time of writing.) Bars. Six in number, inscribed Ali Musjid, Peiwar Kotal, Charasia, Ahmed Khel, Kabul, Kandahar. (It is curious to note how official spelling changes with time. We have had Afghanistan with a double F, and Kabul with a C, Kandahar with a C, and elsewhere Coomassie with a K.) Prices of the Afghanistan medal average No bar : 55. One bar : Kabul. los. One bar : Ali Musjid. 8s. Two bars : Kabul and Kandahar. 155. Two bars : Ali Musjid and Charasia. 145. Three bars : Charasia, Kabul and Kandahar. 255. Three bars : Peiwar Kotal, Charasia, Kabul. 2 is. The Kabul to Kandahar Star. This decoration was given to the forces which marched with Lord (then General Sir Fred.) Roberts from Kabul to relieve General Primrose, who was hard pressed in the fortress of Kandahar. The journey, which measured some three hundred odd miles, lay through most difficult country- mountainous and treacherous. The force set out in the early part of August, 1880, and reached its goal on the last day of that month. All who took part in CAMPAIGN MEDALS 129 the memorable march were given the star, besides those who garrisoned Khelat-i-Ghilzie, and who proceeded with Roberts from this place to Kandahar. The decoration consists of an unattractive five- pointed star, having a small ball in each angle and a crown between the two uppermost limbs. The centre of the piece is a circle containing the cypher, VRI, and, in a circular band, the inscription Kabul to Kandahar, 1880. A ring, fixed to the crown, takes the rainbow ribbon of red, white, yellow, white and blue. The star is cast in bronze, made from guns captured at Kandahar, September i, 1880. The surface is lacquered a deep brown, but, when this has worn off, many recipients have renewed it with a black lacquer. The award in good average condition is worth eight- and-six, but more when the original surface has been well preserved. The star should be obtained, for preference, in company with an Afghanistan medal won by the same recipient. The Egyptian Medal, 1882-9." Many were the circumstances which led to the Egyptian War of 1882, but probably the chief factor concerned the sale to Great Britain, in 1875, of about two hundred thousand shares in the Suez Canal. After some while it was found that the finances of this national undertaking were considerably involved, and, as the country was also a large debtor to France, both France and England decided to place some control upon its money affairs. This step caused a good deal of ill-feeling in Cairo and elsewhere, and paved the way for the cry of ' Egypt for the Egyptians ' which Arabi Pasha, a cunning agitator, had put into the mouths of the people. In June, 1882, Arabi, knowing he had a considerable following, set I 130 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR the British diplomats at defiance and began constructing earthworks around the harbour of Alexandria. The two powers pointed out that this was an act of war, and, as the cunning soldier refused to desist, war was declared on June n, when the French withdrew their vessels. Alexandria was bombarded by our ships, and a landing effected.' Then Tel-el-Kebir was attacked by Viscount Wolseley in the month of September, and such was the success of the encounter that the rebellious spirit of Egypt was crushed for a time. " In 1883, the valley of the Nile was once more in a state of ferment. A fanatic, called the Mahdi, had fanned the people into a restless condition, and a force under Baker Pasha was set upon suddenly at El-Teb and cut to pieces. As a relief measure, reinforcements were landed at Suakin, and again a battle was fought at El-Teb, and, later on, at Tamaai, both being British successes. Then events centred around General Gordon and his band of followers at Khartoum. Lord Wolseley's march across the deseit to relieve him is one of the out- standing feats of the British Army, and so are his victories at Abu Klea and Abu Kru. When Khartoum was relieved, unfortunately too late to preserve the life of the heroic Gordon, the native resistance fell to pieces, and the war dragged on sporadically until 1889." * A medal was struck in 1882 or 1883. The obverse gives L. C. Wyon's head of Victoria, as shown by the Ashantee award of 1873-4. The inscription runs, Victoria Regina et Imperatrix. (The Ashantee die could nothave been used on this occasion, as the wording on the earlier piece is Victoria Regina.) The reverse bears a sphinx resting on a pedestal * From " The A.B.C. of Medals." CAMPAIGN MEDALS 131 with the word Egypt above, and the year 1882 below. When the medal was struck for the engagements between 1883 and 1889, the date was omitted and the space left blank. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is deep blue and white in five equal bars, three of the former and two of the latter. It is said that these colours were chosen to symbolise the Blue and White Nile. The bars are inscribed; Alexandria, Tel-el-Kebir , Suakin 1884, El-Teb, Tamaai, El-Teb-Tamaai, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea, Kirbekan, Suakin 1885, Tofrek, Gemaizah 1888, and Toski 1889. Medals were also issued with no bars. The following list of prices may prove useful. In no case are the items of special interest, but in each instance the pieces are in good condition : Egypt, 1882, no bar. 5$. Egypt, no date, no bar. 55. Egypt, 1882, Tel-el-Kebir. 55. 6d. Egypt, no date, Suakin, 1885. 6s. Egypt, no date, Nile. 75. 6d. Egypt, no date, Suakin, 1885, and Tofrek. 8s. 6d. Egypt, no date, Gemaizah and Toski with the Khedive's star. i. Egypt, no date, Tel-el-Kebir, Suakin, 1884, El-Teb- Tamaai, Nile. 1. Egypt, no date, Tofrek, Gemaizah, Toski, with the Khedive's star. 4 guineas. The Khedive's Star for Egypt. In the year 1883 the Khedive gave a decoration to all English soldiers who had received the Queen's award, just described, and by Royal assent recipients, when in uniform, were 132 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 12 A Fig. I. Egyptian Medal of 1882. Obverse. Fig. 2. The Khedive's Star for Egypt. Fig. 3. Reverse of the Egyptian Medal of 1882. B Fig. i. The East and West Africa Medal of 1887-1900. Reverse. Fig. 2. The British South Africa Company's Medal for Rhodesia. Obverse. Fig. 3. The British South Africa Company's Medal for Rhodesia. Reverse. PLATE XII CAMPAIGN MEDALS 133 allowed to wear the piece. The grant of the Khedive was extended later to all who fought in the engagements lasting until 1889. The star was cast in bronze and darkened by means of a lacquer, but it was never awarded with a black lacquer as often appears on pieces that have been privately restored. The star possesses five points, in the centre of which is a circular band enclosing a view of the Pyramids and a sphinx. The band is inscribed, Egypt 1882, and " Khedive of Egypt, 1299 ; " but the latter is given in Arabic. The reverse of the piece bears the initials T.M. (Twefik Muhammad). A bronze bar, carrying a small star and crescent, is chained to the decoration and, through loops on its undersurface, a deep blue ribbon runs. The star is also found with the dates 1884 and 1884-6, but when awarded later than 1886 is undated. Some undated pieces were distributed with a bar inscribed Tokar 1308, in Arabic. Also, a few pieces were given to men who had not received the Queen's Egyptian medal. The Khedive's star is probably the cheapest decora- tion that collectors can buy, a fair copy being priced no higher than four shillings and sixpence. It is, however, rare when undated, as most of the men who fought after 1886 had already received the piece with one of the earlier dates. The North-West Canada Medal. In the early spring of 1885, discontent arose among the Indians of Saskatchewan and the French half-breeds over the question of territorial rights. " The prairie Indians had no tangible grievance against the Government beyond their natural dislike to sharing their country 134 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR with white men. They had been given ample reserves and daily rations of beef and flour, blankets, and a small sum of money annually. But with the buffalo had disappeared not only food and clothing, but happy hunting. The transition from hunter and horse-thief to rationed loafer was too sudden." * The discontent of these primitive men was noted by the firebrand, Louis Kiel, who promised them " unrationed whisky and a land for themselves " if they rose and fought the government with the assistance of the Fenian Brigade. The terms were alluring, and we find that within a short space of time Kiel, backed by an army of followers, proclaimed self-government for the Redskins of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Canadian forces manning the outlying stations were, at first, overcome by the rebels, but, once the Militia was brought into line, Riel and his dupes stood little chance of success. He was cornered at Batoche in May, 1885, by General Middleton, and, being tried, was found guilty and paid, later, " the penalty of the folly that becomes crime." Militia Orders, under the date of September 18, 1885, announced that a medal as follows would be struck : Obverse. Made from the same die as used for the Egyptian, 1882, obverse. Reverse. A wreath of maple enclosing the wording, North-West Canada, 1885. Clasp. Straight. Ribbon. A greyish-blue with two wide bars of red, not quite touching the edges. Bar. One for Saskatchewan. * Major-General T. Bland Strange. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 135 These medals are worth about 2 each, but often command as much as eight or ten pounds. We believe that none were given to English soldiers, fighting as such, but a number of men on the home establishment who were filling special posts in Canada certainly received the award. The East and West Africa Medal of 1887-1900. Though it was not the original intention of the authori- ties to re-issue the Ashantee award of 1873-4 on a subsequent occasion, it was found that a medal was needed to serve for a number of small expeditions in East and West Africa and, accordingly, the Ashantee piece was constituted a temporary General Service medal for this purpose. The dies which served for the original award were turned to and pieces were struck exactly similar to those made in the seventies. Even the ribbon was matched. Thus, in all respects, the 1873-4 and 1887-1900 medals are alike, and the only way to tell one issue from the other is to examine the bars. For 1873-4 there was only one of these added honours, which was inscribed Coomassie. For 1887-1900 the bars were as follows : (a) 1887-8. (Warfare with the Yonnie tribe.) (b) Witu, 1890. (For Naval operations.) (c) 1891-2. (Gambia River expedition.) (d) 1892. (Actions against Tambi, Toniataba, and the Jebus.) (<?) Witu, August, 1893. (For Naval operations.) (/) Liwondi, 1893. (Operations by H.M.S. Mosquito and Herald.} (g) Juba River, 1893. (Operations by H.M.S. Blanche.) (h) Lake Nyassa, 1893. (Operations by H.M.S. 136 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Adventurer and Pioneer, assisted by a party of Sikhs.) (i) 1893-4. (Operations against the Sofas.) (j) Gambia, 1894. (Operations by a number of ships and troops of the West India Regiment.) (k) Benin River, 1894. (Operations by four ships.) (/) Brass River, 1895. (Operations by four ships.) (m) 1896-97. (*) 1896-98. (o) 1896-99. (p) Niger, 1897. (Expeditions to Egbon, Bida and Ilorin.) (q) Benin, 1897. (Operations by nine ships.) (r) Dawkita, 1897. (For the defence of Dawkita by the Gold Coast Constabulary.) (s) 1897-98. (t) 1898. (u) Sierre Leone, 1898-99. (Operations in this colony.) (t) 1899. (Bula Expedition.) (w) 1900. (Munshi and other Expeditions.) For M'wele a bar was not issued, but the name of the honour was impressed on the rim of the piece. Where men possessed the 1873-4 medal, a new award was not provided, but the requisite bars were given instead. In assessing the value of the East and \Vest Africa medal we must bear three factors in mind. First, a larger number of native than British soldiers were recipients ; second, the Navy participated in the awards more than the Army ; and, third, on certain occasions, the grants were exceedingly few in number, and, consequently, the piece varies considerably in CAMPAIGN MEDALS 137 value according to the bar or bars going with it. The Liwondi bar, for instance, was only given to three officers and thirty-four men, and the Juba River bar to one officer and forty men ; but the bars bearing dates usually went to some thousands of recipients. Fifteen shillings is a minimum price for the medal, but specially rare specimens may fetch as many pounds. The Central Africa Medal. As though to confuse the student and collector, the East and West Africa medal was given in a slightly different rendering for operations in Central Africa during the four years 1894-8. The obverse and reverse were stamped from the same dies as before, but instead of a clasp there is a silver ring through which the ribbon folds. The ribbon is dove, white and black in bars of equal width. The dove, so it is claimed, repiesents the Sikhs, who formed part of the forces, the white stand for the British, and the black, the soldiers of Zanzibar. To still further complicate matters, it was decided to add a bar to the Central Africa medal bearing the inscription, Central Africa 1894-98. When this was worn the ring disappeared, and the usual pattern of straight clasp was substituted. Thus there are four main varieties of the medal with Poynter's picture of a bush fight on the reverse : (a) With a yellow ribbon and black stripes. With no bar, or a bar for Coomassie. This is the Ashantee medal for 1873-4. (b) With a yellow ribbon and black stripes. With a bar bearing a date, and perhaps a name as well, or, if with no bar, the honour M'wele inscribed on the rim. 138 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR This is the East and West Africa medal for 1887- 1900. (c) With a dove, white and black ribbon. With a ring through which the ribbon passes. This is the early type of the Central Africa medal. (d) With a dove, white and black ribbon. With a bar for Central Africa, 1894-98. This is the latter type of the Central Africa medal. It may perhaps be of interest to say that though a soldier could not receive both (a) and (b), nor both (c) and (d), he could qualify for either (a) and (6) as well as either (c) and (d). CHAPTER VIII CAMPAIGN MEDALS III. FROM MATABELELAND TO THE GREAT WAR THE British South Africa Company's Medals. Whilst exercising its trading rights, this com- pany, founded by Cecil Rhodes, experienced hostile treatment at the hands of Lobengula's Matabele followers as well as the Mashona Kaffirs. The com- pany possessed an establishment of military police, and this force, with the aid of an expeditionary army, engaged the natives between 1893 and 1897. In 1897 the home authorities permitted the Com- pany to issue a medal for Matabeleland and Rhodesia. The obverse gives a profile of Queen Victoria with the inscription Victoria Regina. This effigy closely resembles that which had been adopted in the same year for the Diamond Jubilee coinage of Great Britain, though it was of slightly inferior conception. The reverse bears a British lion wounded by an assegai but still showing fight. Below it are the words, British South Africa Company, and above either Matabeleland 1893 or Rhodesia 1896. Later, in 1888, a third medal with the inscription Mashonaland 1897 was distributed. The ribbon is an orange-yellow, watered, with three blue-black bands, none of which touch the edges. 139 140 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR The clasp is a curved scroll, composed of an array of roses, thistles and shamrocks. The bars available for wearing with the (a) Matabeleland 1893 piece are Rhodesia 1896 and Mashonaland 1897, (b) Rhodesia 1896 piece is Mashonaland 1897. (c) Mashonaland 1897 piece, none. The medal always secures a good price when put up for auction, probably because its distribution was limited. Mr. W. A. Steward gives the following list of the forces which received it : Matabeleland 1893. One company of the 2nd West Riding Regiment ; one officer and eighteen men of the ist Batt. of the " Black Watch " ; three men of the 2nd York and Lancaster Regiment ; a detachment oi the 3rd Dragoon Guards ; Cape Mounted Rifles and British Bechuanaland Police. Rhodesia 1896. The 7th Hussars ; details of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Royal Rifles ; 2nd and 4th Rifle Brigade ; ist Royal Irish ; ist Royal Dublin Fusiliers ; 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers ; ist Derbys ; ist Leicesters ; 2nd Norfolks ; 2nd Hampshires ; 2nd Royal West Rents ; 2nd West Riding Regiment ; 2nd York and Lancasters ; 24th, 25th and 26th Western Division Royal Artillery ; Army Ordnance and Royal Army Service Corps. Mashonaland 1897. Detachments of the 7th Hussars and 2nd Hampshires, besides the local forces. The Matabeleland medal with bar for Rhodesia is worth about $ \ the Rhodesia medal with bar for Mashonaland about 4 ; and the Mashonaland medal, about . TRANSPORT MEDAL. ASHANTI. 1901. I INDIA GENERAL SERVICE 1908-12. 1914-1915 STAR.* " - ^B : ! : BRITISH WAR MEDAL' 1914-8. VICTORY MEDAL, 1914-8. CHINA, 1900. AFRICA GENERAL SERVICE. NATAL, 1906. KHEDIVE S SUDAN, 1910-7. NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE, 1915. MERCANTILE MARINE MEDAL. UNION OF S. AFRICA COMMEMORATION MEDAL. BOARD OF TRADE MEDAL. EDWARD MEDAL. RIBBONS OF RECENT CAMPAIGN MEDALS, ETC. 'The 1915 Star, as shown. The 1914 Star, with a silver rosette in centre. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 141 The Second India General Service Medal or the India Medal, 1895. The first India General Service medal had been in existence since 1854 and, as it had been granted for a number of detached campaigns was beginning to lose its identity. Some of the bars fixed to it denoted fighting which had occasioned the greatest hardships whilst others stood for engagements such as a soldier considers " all in a day's work." This unequal appreciation of the award did not tend to increase its value in the estimation of the wearers, and rather than allow it to reach a commonplace level the authorities decided to change the design. The second I.G.S.M. has an obverse showing a profile of Queen Victoria, crowned and veiled as on the Diamond Jubilee coinage, the work of T. Brock. This is not, however, the same effigy as appeared on the B.S.A. Company's award. The reverse gives a picture by G. de Saulles of two soldiers, one an Englishman, the other a Hindoo, both grasping a standard, thus typifying their common cause. To the left of the Englishman is the word India ; to the right of the Hindoo, the date, 1895. The clasp is of the usual scroll pattern. The ribbon has three bars of purple red and two of green, all equal in width. The medal, when first struck, was provided with two bars for the Defence of Chitral, 1895, and Relief of Chitral, 1895. In 1898 further bars were added for Malakand, 1897 ; Samana, 1897 ; Punjab Frontier, 1897-8 ; and Tirah, 1897-8. A curious situation arose in 1901-2, after the blockade of Waziristan had come to an end. A medal was needed for the soldiers who had taken part in this 142 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR engagement, but the only available piece was the second I.G.S. medal which bore the date 1895, and gave the profile of the Queen who had recently died. To meet the position, a die with King Edward's profile in field-marshal's dress was prepared, whilst the old reverse was used after the date had been erased. Thus a second edition of the 1895 India General Service medal appeared, and though collectors will see in it a piece distinct from the earlier striking, soldiers who already possessed the first were not given the second award but, instead, received a bar inscribed Waziristan, 1901-2. The original medal may be freely purchased for seven shillings with one bar, or for half a guinea with two ; but the later striking went mostly to a limited number of native Indian soldiers, and is somewhat rare in England. The Ashanti Star of 1896. In 1895 an ultimatum was sent to King Prempeh demanding the immediate cessation of human sacrifices which provided spectacular diversion for him and his court. With so inveterate a monster, it is not surprising to hear that his reply was tantamount to a refusal. Consequently, an ex- peditionary force comprising a regular battalion of the West Yorkshires and a composite draft from various line regiments was sent out to enforce our demands. The fighting which lay ahead of this little army was of the harassing bush kind, but the hardships occasioned by the climate proved far more fatal. Prince Henry of Battenberg, a member of the force, it will be remem- bered, died of fever, as did hundreds of more humble heroes. When the remnant of the expedition returned to CAMPAIGN MEDALS 143 England, the authorities decided to strike a decoration to mark the occasion. The usual circular silver piece was departed from in this instance and its place taken by a bronze four-pointed star to which was added a St. Andrew's cross. The arrangement was such that the limbs of the cross and the points of the star radiated alternately from a circle containing an Imperial Ashanti Star, 1 896. Kimberley Star, 1899-1900. crown and the inscription Ashanti, 1896. At the back of the decoration appeared the words From the Queen. The piece bore a circular suspension ring and through it passed a yellow ribbon with two wide black stripes. The Sudan Medal, 1896-8. The reconquest of the Sudan with its victories of Abu Hamed and Omdurman, as well as Ferkeh and Dongola, occasioned the striking of a very beautiful medal in 1899. The obverse gives a half-length profile of the Queen, who is surrounded by the legend Victoria Regina el Imperatrix. She wears a tiny crown, a sash and star of some order, and holds a sceptre. It is probably the 144 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 14 Fig. i. The Second India General Service Medal (or the India Medal of 1895). Obverse. Fig. 2. The Second India General Service Medal (or the India Medal of 1895). Reverse. Fig. 3. The Khedive's Sudan Medal, 1896-1905. Obverse. Fig. 4. The Khedive's Sudan Medal, 1896-1905. Reverse. PLATE XIV ^-'I : ;T:- v H^ w/ -i!% : * J '~' )~ ""'11: O" ll^W-iiTs^-v f T i. _iX^ ~, JJwv. , -i o- .^, v - -< i-V'C.- . ""wC't, CAMPAIGN MEDALS 145 finest rendering of the royal features since Wyon's famous effigy was discarded. The reverse is equally pleasing. A winged figure of Victory, with arms outstretched, sits upon a tablet, inscribed Sudan. She is about to decorate a British flag with a spray of palm, and is honouring, at the same time, an Egyptian flag with a wreath of laurel. The clasp is of the straight pattern. The ribbon is yellow and black with a narrow streak of red running between. This arrangement of colouring is supposed to represent the " thin red line " expelling the black or evil Dervishes from the yellow, sandy desert. There are no bars. The medal was struck in silver and bronze. Ten shillings is a fair price for this award. The Khedive's Sudan Medal, 189&-1905. Whilst preparing medals for his own troops, the Khedive of Egypt was permitted by Queen Victoria to grant specimens to all who formed part of Lord Kitchener's Sudan army of the years 1896-8. Silver pieces were presented to those who took up arms, whilst bronze pieces without bars were given to recognised camp attendants. It seems more than probable that no English received the latter. The obverse of the reward reveals the Khedive's monogram and other inscriptions, all in Arabic characters. The reverse gives a shield, from the rear of which emerges a stand of military colours. The shield is charged with a star and crescent, in triplicate. The clasp is of the usual straight pattern. The ribbon, which is slightly wider than usual, is K 146 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR yellow, blue and yellow, colours which stand for the Blue Nile running through the desert. The British Sudan medal lacked a certain amount of interest by the absence of bars, but the Khedive's companion piece did not suffer in this way, for many such added honours are to be found. Indeed, certain of these were added after Kitchener had returned to England, and stand for dates as late as 1905. The following bars were issued with this award. In each case, the inscription is given in both English and Arabic : Firket. For those who fought beyond Akasha on June 7, 1896. Hafir. For those who fought in this district on September 20, 1896. Sudan, 1897. For those who fought around Kerma during the year 1897. Abu Hamed. For those who fought at Assouan and Abu Hamed on August 7, 1897. The Atbara. For those who fought at the battle of this name on April 8 (Good Friday), 1898. Khartoum. For those who fought at the battle of this name on September 2, 1898. Gedaref. For those who assisted in the taking of Gedaref and the subsequent fighting in the district. Sudan, 1899. For those who fought in the second Dongola expedition. Gedid. For those who took part in the defeat of the Khalifa at Gedid on November 22 and 24, 1899. Bahr-el-Ghazel, 1900-2. For those who took part in the restoration of this area. Jerok. For those who fought in the Blue Nile province in 1904. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 147 Nyam-Nyam. For those who fought against the tribe of this name during 1905. Usually, this medal is not of great value, copies with one bar being frequently sold for five shillings. Nevertheless, 7 has been given at auction for the rare combination of bars, Firket, Hafir and Gedaref. English recipients seldom had more than two bars awarded to them, though members of the Egyptian forces frequently had as many as seven. The Canada Medal of 1866-70 was struck thirty years after it had been won, and when the majority of those who had fought for it were either dead or lost to the authorities. Consequently, comparatively few pieces reached the men who had a right to them. It is quite certain that this medal would have never been issued had not a piece been struck for Kiel's Rebellion of 1885. Between the appearance of the latter and the year 1899, when the 1866-70 award came into existence, there were constant references in the Colonial press to the need for making the award, and it was due to agitation, alone, that the men who thrashed Colonel O'Neil and his band of Fenians were ever properly acknowledged. The obverse of the Canada medal of 1866-70 was made from the dies used for the Egyptian award of 1882. The reverse gives a flag of the colony surrounded by a wreath of maple leaves. Above the flag is the word Canada. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is scarlet, white and scarlet in stripes of equal width. The bars are a trifle large, squared at the corners* 148 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR and without ornamentation. They are three in number, being inscribed Fenian Raid 1866, Fenian Raid 1870, and Red River 1870. The medal is uncommon. With one of the Fenian Raid bars, it may be secured for thirty shillings. The Red River bar alone was only given to between three and four hundred soldiers, and about half this number received the Fenian Raid, 1866, and Red River, 1870, honours. Less than fifty were given the two bars for 1870, and twenty, we think, was the total number of three bar awards. The latter are, of course, extremely valuable. The East and Central Africa Medal of 1897-9. In the previous chapter we described a number of medals bearing a picture of bush fighting on the reverse. In 1899 the authorities came to the conclusion that this reverse was neither appropriate nor sufficiently distinctive for the Central Africa medal, and, accord- ingly, they set about preparing a new pattern which should serve for engagements not only in Central but East Africa as well. When completed, the new award was given, almost entirely, to those who fought in Uganda or against the Ogaden Somalis. The obverse shows the same half-length profile of the Queen as appeared on her Sudan medal ; in fact, the one die, we believe, was used for the two purposes. The reverse bears a very graceful rendering of Britannia pointing, with a spray of palm, to the rising sun. By her side is the lion of Britain. She stands on the exergue, which is inscribed, East and Central Africa. The clasp is straight. The bars, which are large, square cornered, and CAMPAIGN MEDALS 149 plain, bear the inscriptions Lubwa's, Uganda 1897-8, 1898 (for those who fought against the Ogaden Somalis), and Uganda 1899. The ribbon is half yellow and half red, vertically. This piece is somewhat uncommon and, with one bar, sells for at least twenty shillings. The Royal Niger Company's Medal. The Niger Company, probably fired by the example of the British South Africa Company, sought permission in 1899 from Her Majesty to issue medals to those who fought the Fulahs in the Hausa States. At the same time, it was desired to reward all soldiers who had served in minor engagements between 1886 and 1897. On receiving the necessary consent, the company arranged with Messrs. Spink and Son to strike an appropriate decoration. The obverse of this piece bears a crowned and wreathed head of Queen Victoria, unlike any other found on the series of campaign medals. The inscrip- tion, Victoria Regina et Imperatrix, encircles the head. The reverse gives a shield charged with a Y-shaped device. The words Ars, Jus, Pax appear, one on each of the arms of the Y- Emerging from behind and above the shield are two flags of the company, and from its sides jut out a number of rifles and swords. All this is enclosed by a neat wreath. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is yellow, black and white, all of equal width. The piece was struck in silver for white men and in bronze for natives. The former carries a bar inscribed Nigeria 1886-1897, whilst the latter has a bar inscribed Nigeria. 150 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR The silver medals are very rare ; indeed, we cannot recall having seen any soldier wearing the ribbon. Pieces seldom reach the auction rooms, and it is, there- fore, impossible to suggest even an approximate value. The Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal. A rebellion which took place at Pokwani, a tiny village in British Bechuanaland, in 1896, was promptly quelled by a small force of Cape troops, officered in part by members of the commissioned ranks of the British Army. After leaving the matter in abeyance for four years, the Cape Government sought permission from Her Majesty to reward those who fought on this occasion. At the same time, it was desired to honour in a similar way the men who had taken part in various operations in Basutoland and Transkei during the years 1880-1. The Queen granted the necessary permission in 1900, and the medal was struck forthwith. The obverse shows a crowned and veiled head of Her Majesty almost similar to the effigy given on the South Africa medal, but, being executed on a slightly larger scale, less of the shoulders appear. The usual inscription, Victoria Regina et Impemtrix, encircles this face of the piece. The reverse reveals the arms of the colony, which the official heraldic language describes thus " For Arms Gules a lion rampant between three Annulets Or, on a Chief Argent as many hurts each charged with a Fleur-de-lis of the second, for the Crest- On a Wreath of the Colours the Figure of Hope proper vested Azure resting the dexter arm on a Rock and supporting with the sinister hand an Anchor Sable entwined with a Cable also proper, and for Supporters. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 151 On the dexter side a Gnu and on the sinister side an Oryx (gems buck) both proper, together with this motto Spes Bona." Around the arms is the inscription, Cape of Good Hope. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is a purple-blue with a wide stripe of orange running down the centre. Three bars were issued, and every medal bears one or more ; they are inscribed, Basutoland, Transkei, and Bechuanaland. Not many copies of the Cape medal are sold at auction, but the following prices have been obtained : With bar for Basutoland, 28$. With bar for Bechuanaland, 335. With two bars for Transkei and Basutoland, 525. The British North Borneo Medals ol 1897-1916. These pieces are seldom seen, but, none the less, are worn by a few members of the British Army. The first was awarded by the North Borneo Company to those who took part in the Punitive Expedition of 1897-8, including actions at Inanam, Ranau, Ambong, Labuk and Sugut. The obverse gives the Company's arms. The reverse shows a thick-set bush with a British lion and the Union Jack. In the exergue is the inscription Spink ( Son, London, who were the makers of the piece. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern. The bar, issued with each piece, is inscribed Punitive Expedition. The ribbon was, at first, watered orange-yellow, but is now crimson, yellow, blue, yellow and crimson. 152 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 15 A Fig. i. The Queen's South Africa Medal, 1899-1902. Obverse. Fig. 2. The King's South Africa Medal, 1901-1902. Obverse. Fig. 3. The Reverse of both these medals. (The Bars are those given with the King's award.) B Fig. i. The Ashanti Medal of 1901. Reverse. Fig. 2. The China Medal of 1900. Obverse. Fig. 3. The Africa General Service Medal. Reverse. PLATE XV CAMPAIGN MEDALS 153 The Metal. Pieces were struck in silver and bronze, but the latter were replaced by silver awards in 1906. A second medal, identical to the foregoing but with a bar, Punitive Expeditions, was given to those present at two or more of the engagements, mentioned above. Curiously enough, the first and second piece could be worn, suspended from a similar ribbon, by one recipient. A third medal, styled the Tembunan Medal, was awarded to those who fought against Mat Saleh in 1899-1900. Silver and bronze pieces were issued with the design as above, but with the date, 1900, on the obverse. The ribbon is orange, light yellow, and green in equal widths. There were no bars. A fourth piece, the Rundum Medal, was issued in 1915-16 of the same design but with a bar inscribed, Rundum. It was struck in silver only. The ribbon is crimson, yellow, blue, yellow, and crimson. The Queen's South Africa Medal, 1899-1902. This medal, the ribbon of which is so frequently seen, may be described as follows : Obverse. A profile of Queen Victoria, heavily veiled and wearing a small crown, also the star of the Order of the Garter. The words Victoria Regina et Imperatrix, in circular formation around the head. Reverse. Britannia grasping a flag and presenting a wreath to an army of soldiers and a fleet of battle- ships. Above her are the words South Africa. The artist was G. de Saulles. Clasp. Straight. Ribbon. A wide central stripe of orange-yellow with narrow stripes of deep blue and red on either side. 154 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Bars. These are narrow and devoid of ornamenta- tion. There are twenty-six varieties (i) Cape Colony, (2) Natal, (3) Rhodesia, (4) Relief of Mafeking, (5) Defence of Kimberley, (6) Talana, (7) Elandslaagte, (8) Defence of Ladysmith, (9) Belmont, (10) Modder River, (n) Tugela Heights, (12) Relief of Kimberley, (13) Paardeberg, (14) Orange Free State, (15) Relief of Ladysmith, (16) Driefontein, (17) Wepener, (18) Defence of Mafeking, (19) Transvaal, (20) Johannes- burg, (21) Laing's Nek, (22) Diamond Hill, (23) bergen, (24) Belfast, (25) SowtfA Africa 1901, (26) Africa 1902. This medal was given to every member of the Navy or Army, including doctors and women nurses, who served in South Africa during the period October n, 1899, and May 31, 1902 ; also to members of the forces who garrisoned the Mediterranean forts during the period of hostilities. (In their case the word Mediter- ranean appears on the reverse of the award instead of the words South Africa.) It was given, in addition, to the detachments which guarded the prisoners con- fined at St. Helena, but such recipients received no bars. Much care and thought was expended on the dis- tribution of the bars in order that as few injustices as possible might be committed. It was found, for instance, that many men who had seen their full share of the fighting had not taken part in any of the classic engagements, and therefore, unless special bars were struck for them they would receive no additional laurels. Hence the reason for the bars with general names, such as Cape Colony, Natal, Orange Free State, and Transvaal. It should be noted that added honours for both Cape Colony and Natal could not be 155 held by the same person, and that these two South Africa honours were only given to men not qualified for the King's S.A. medal. Everybody, it should perhaps be said, was given a bar if he fought, but, in the case of the naval detachments which patrolled the shore and the soldiers who remained at the base, no bars were awarded. This medal is seldom reproduced by the counter- feiter, as it is not particularly rare. The bars, however, are frequently imitated, and fairly valuable combina- tions are simulated by an assembly of false bars with real medals. It is some check on the wiles of the faker to know what particular honours were given to each regiment, and, at the risk of going into detail that may appear tedious, we append a list of the bars awarded to each British regiment : Complete List of Bars Awarded for the South Africa Campaign * IST LIFE GUARDS. Seven bars: Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Cape Colony, Defence of Kimberley, Free State, Driefontein, Transvaal, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Bel- Diamond Hill, and Wittebergen. fast. 2ND LIFE GUARDS. Seven bars: 7TH (P.R.) DRAGOON GUARDS. Cape Colony, Defence of Kimberley, Six bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, State, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Dia- Diamond Hill, and Wittebergen. mond Hill, and Belfast. ROYAL HORSE GUARDS. Six IST ROYAL DRAGOONS. Six bars : bars : Cape Colony, Defence of Kimber- Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange ley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannes- Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Trans- burg, and Wittebergen. vaal, and Laing's Nek. IST (KING'S) DRAGOON GUARDS. 2ND DRAGOONS (Royal Scots Greys). Three bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free Nine bars : Cape Colony, Relief of State, and Transvaal. Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free 2x0 DRAGOON GUARDS. Three State, Driefontein, Transvaal, Johannes- bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, burg, Diamond Hill, and Belfast, and Transvaal. 3RD (K.O.) HUSSARS. Two bars : 3RD (P.of W.) DRAGOON GUARDS. Orange Free State and Transvaal. Three bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free STH (ROYAL IRISH) LANCERS. State, and Transvaal. Seven bars: Cape Colony, Natal, Elands- STH (P.C.W.) DRAGOON GUARDS. laagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Five bars : Natal, Elandslaagte, Free State, Transvaal, and Belfast. Defence ol Ladysmith, Orange Free 6TH (INNISK.) DRAGOONS. Six State, and Transvaal. bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, 6TH DRAGOON GUARDS (Cara- Transvaal, Johaunesburg, Diamond Hill, biniers). Nine bars: Cape Colony, and Belfast. * Reprinted from The Regiment, March 3, 1917. 156 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR 7TH (Q.O.) HUSSARS. Three bars : Colony, Ora Transvaal. Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and STH (K.R1.L) HUSSARS. Six bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Trans- vaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Beliast. 9TH (Q.R.) LANCERS. Ten bars: Cape Colony, Natal, Belmont, Modder River, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and VVittebergen. IOTH (P. of W.O. Rl.) HUSSARS. Eight bars : Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Wittebergen. I2TH (P. of W. Rl.) LANCERS. Nine bars : Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefon- tein, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Wittebergen. ISTH HUSSARS. Five bars : Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, and Laing's Nek. I4TH (K.) HUSSARS. Eight bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Trans- vaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Belfast. i6TH (THE QUEEN'S) LANCERS. Seven bars : Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Wittebergen. Ca nesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen, and Belfast. i STH HUSSARS. Six bars: Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Laing's Nek, and Belfast. IQTH (A., P. of W.O.) HUSSARS. Three bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and Transvaal. aoTH HUSSARS. Two bars : Orange Free State, and Transvaal. GRENADIER GUARDS. Ten bars : Cape Colony, Belmont, Modder River, Orange Free State, Driefontein, Trans- vaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen, and Belfast. COLDSTREAM GUARDS. Nine bars : Cape Colony, Belmont, Modder River, Orange Free State, Driefontein, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Belfast. SCOTS GUARDS Eleven bars : Cape Colony, Belmont, Modder River, Paarde- berg, Orange Free State, Driefontein, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen, and Belfast. THE ROYAL SCOTS. Four bars: Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Trans- vaal, and Belfast. THE QUEEN'S (Rl. W. Surrey Regt.). Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing's Nek. THE BUFFS (E. Kent Regt.). Six bars : Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, I7TH (D.C.O.) LANCERS. Six bars : pe Colony , Orange Free State, Johan- Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Drie- fontein, and Transvaal. THE KING'S OWN (Rl. Lane. Regt.). Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith.Transvaal, Laing's Nek. THE NORTHUMBERLAND FUSI- LIERS. Five bars : Cape Colony, Bel- mont, Modder River, Orange Free State, and Transvaal. THE ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Belfast. THE ROYAL FUSILIERS. Five bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, and Transvaal. THE KING'S (LIVERPOOL) REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Trans- vaal, Laing's Nek, and Belfast. THE NORFOLK REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paar- deberg, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Johannesburg. THE LINCOLNSHIRE REGT. Five bars : Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Johannesburg. THE DEVONSHIRE REGT. Nine bars : Natal, Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing's Nek, and Belfast. THE SUFFOLK REGT. Three bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and Transvaal. SOMERSET LIGHT INFANTRY. Five bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, and Laing's Nek. THE PRINCE OF WALES' OWN (W. Yorks. Regt.). Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, and Laing's Nek. THE EAST YORKSHIRE REGT. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Wittebergen. THE BEDFORDSHIRE REGT. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Wittebergen. THE LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing's Nek, and Belfast. THE ROYAL IRISH REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Witte- bergen, and Belfast ALEX. (P. of W.) OWN (Yorkshire Regt.). Nine bars : Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefontein, Transvaal, Johannes- burg, Diamond Hill, and Belfast . THE LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS. Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, and Laing's Nek. THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS. THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 157 Five bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysnu'th, and Transvaal. THE CHESHIRE REGT. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Trans- vaal, and Johannesburg. THE ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS. Five bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, and Transvaal. THE S. WALES BORDERERS. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Johannesburg. THE K.O. SCOTTISH BOR- DERERS. Five bars : Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Trans- vaal, and Johannesburg. THE CAMERONIANS (Scottish Rifles). Seven bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing's Nek, and Wittebergen. THE ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS. -Seven bars : Cape Colony, Natal, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, and Belfast. THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGT. Eight bars : Cape Colony, Natal, Defence of Ladysmith, Relief of Kim- berley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefontein, and Transvaal. THE WORCESTERSHIRE REGT. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Wittebergen. THE EAST LANCASHIRE REGT. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Johannesburg. THE EAST SURREY REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, and Laing's Nek. THE D. of C. LIGHT INFANTRY. Six bars : Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefontein, Trans- vaal, and Johannesburg. W. RIDING REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, and Transvaal. THE BORDER REGT. Five bars: Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, and Transvaal. THE ROYAL SUSSEX REGT. Five bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Wittebergen. THE HAMPSHIRE REGT. Five bars : Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Johannesburg. THE SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGT. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Five State, Transvaal, and Wittt-bergen. THE DORSETSHIRE REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, and Laing's Nek. SOUTH LANCS. REGT. Six bars: Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Trans- vaal, and Laing's Nek. THE WELSH REGT. Nine bars: Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefou- tein, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Belfast. THE BLACK WATCH (Royal High- landers). Six bars : Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefon- tein, Transvaal, and Wittebergen. THE OXFORDSHIRE LIGHT IN- FANTRY. Six bars: Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefontein, and Transvaal. THE ESSEX REGT. Nine bars: Cape Colony, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefon- tein, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Belfast. THE SHERWOOD FORESTERS. Five bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Johannesburg, and Diamond Hill. THE LOYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Defence of Kimberley, Belmont, Modder River, Oranga Free State, and Transvaal. THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE REGT. Five bars : Cape Colony, Bel- mont, Modder River, Orange Free State, and Transvaal. ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGT. Three bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and Transvaal. ROYAL W. KENT REGT. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Wittebergen. THE KING'S OWN (Yorks Light Infantry). Six bars : Cape Colony, Belmont, Modder River, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Wittebergen. THE KING'S (Shropshire Light Infantry). Six bars : Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Driefon- tein, Transvaal, and Johannesburg. MIDDLESEX REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmitb, Trans- vaal, and Laing's Nek. THE KING'S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS. Nine bars : Cape Colony, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing's Nek, and Belfast. WILTSHIRE REGT. Four bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Trans- vaal, and Wittebergen. THE MANCHESTER REGT. Eight bars : Cape Colony, Natal, Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Wittebergen, and Bel- fast. NORTH STAFFS. REGT. Four bars : Cape Colory, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Johannesburg. THE YORK AND LANCASTER REGT. Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Trausvaal, and Laiug's Nek. 158 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR THE DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY. Ladysmith, Tugela Heights, Orange Six bars : Cape Colony, Tugela Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, and Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Transvaal. Ladysmith, Transvaal, and Laing's Nek. THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS. THE HIGHLAND LIGHT IN- Six bars : Cape Colony, Natal, Tugela FANTRY. Six bars : Cape Colony, Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Modder River, Paardeberg, Orange Free Ladysmith, and Transvaal. State, Transvaal, and Wittebergen. ARC. AND SUTH. HIGHLANDERS. SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS (Ross- Six bars : Cape Colony, Modder River, shire Buffs, The D. of A.). Six bars : Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Drieioii- Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Orange Free lein, and Transvaal. State, Driefontein, Trausvaal, and THE LEINSTER REGT. Four bars : Wittebergen. Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Trans- THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS. vaal, and Wittebergen. Ten bars: Cape Colony, Elandslaagte, THE ROYAL MUNSTER FUSI- Defence of Ladysmith, Paardeberg, LIERS. Five bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Driefontein, Trans- Belmont, Orange Free State, Transvaa'l, vaal, Johannesburg, Laing's Nek, and and Wittebergen. Belfast. THE ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS. THE Q.O. CAMERON HIGH- Seven bars: Cape Colony, Talana, LANDERS. Six bars : Cape Colony, Tueela Heights, Orange Free State, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Johannes- Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, and burg, Diamond Hill, and Wittebergen. Laing's Nek. THE ROYAL IRISH RIFLES. THE RIFLE BRIGADE. Eight Three bars : Cape Colony, Orange Free bars : Cape Colony, Defence of Lady- State, and Transvaal. smith, Tugela Heights, Orange Free ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS. Seven State, Relief of Ladysmith, Trausvaal, bars : Cape Colony, Talana, Defence of Laing's Nek, and Belfast. The Queen's South Africa medal may be bought for five shillings, upwards. To-day, the prices are about a third of those ruling ten years ago. The King's South Africa Medal, 1901-2. As the Boer War was in progress during the early months of King Edward's reign it was only fitting that a medal bearing His Majesty's profile should be struck for presentation to the troops who fought until the close of hostilities. This medal, which appeared in the early part of 1903, reveals a very fine profile of the King in field- marshal's dress, and the inscription Edwardus VII. Rex Imperator. Much speculation existed prior to the issue of this and the Ashanti, 1901, piece as to whether the profile would face left or right. By analogy with the custom of the coinage, many observers argued that the head should turn to the right, that is, in the contrary direction to that adopted by Queen Victoria. Others pointed out that the Prince Regent looked to THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 159 the left on the Waterloo award, and as Victoria did the same it was probable that Edward would be similarly portrayed. But, as a matter of fact, no rule exists, and though Queen Victoria preferred to adhere to a left-hand profile in, we think, all her war medallic portraits, King Edward has faced variously left and right. In the case of the Boer War medal he faces left. This award possesses a reverse similar in every particular to that of the Queen's piece ; the clasp is also the same, but the ribbon is green, white, and orange-yellow, in equal widths. The green stands for the Transvaal, the white for Britain, and the orange for the Orange Free State. The King's medal was only given to recipients of the Queen's award who were serving on January i, 1902, and who completed eighteen months' fighting before June i of the same year. There were two bars, South Africa, 1901, and South Africa, 1902. To fulfil the conditions set out in the previous paragraph it would appear that every piece should have been issued with both bars, yet we have come across an occasional specimen, properly verified, with the latter bar alone. The King's medal is generally worth a trifle more than the Queen's. Whenever possible, a pair belonging to one recipient should be placed in the collection rather than two odd specimens. The Kimberley Star. This award was given by the Mayor of Kimberley in 1900 to all who took part in the defence of the town during the three months' siege, terminating on February 15, of the above year. Members of the British forces are not allowed to wear the decoration in uniform. 160 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR The star is silver, six pointed, and bears, in the centre, the arms of the town, and the inscription Kimberley, 1899-1900. On the reverse, we read, Mayor's Siege Medal, 1900. The ribbon is not so broad as is customary ; there are three narrow stripes of red, white and blue with a wide edging of black, on the left, and of khaki, on the right. The piece, formerly worth two or three pounds, may now be bought for half a guinea. There are, however, many forgeries in existence, and Mr. W. A. Steward points out that " it should be particularly noticed that only those bearing the hall-mark, including the date- mark, are genuine." The Ashanti Medal of 1901. For those who took part in the repression of the rebellious tribes in Ashanti, and who brought the siege of Kumassi to a successful issue, a medal was granted in 1901. The obverse gives a profile of King Edward wearing the dress of a field-marshal. It should be mentioned that this was the first award to bear the King's features ; it is, however, described in this work after the King's South Africa medal because the latter was planned before the Ashanti medal and because it is desirable to place together the Boer War awards of the Queen and King. The reverse presents a lion looking towards the rising sun. It stands beside a shield and two assegais, one of which is damaged. A scroll is inscribed, Ashanti. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is deep green with three bars of black. The only bar is inscribed, Kumassi. As the expedition was undertaken by natives, directed in part by British officers, we find very few PLATE XVI. MERITORIOUS SERVICE. NAVY-ARMY-MARINES. R.A.F. LONG SERVICE. TERRITORIAL DECORATION. IMPERIAL YEOMANRY LONG SERVICE. SPECIAL RESERVE LONG SERVICE. EDWARDIAN CORONATION MEDAL. STANHOPE GOLD MEDAL. MERITORIOUS SERVICE ROYAL AIR FORCE. ARMY LONG SERVICE. VOLUNTEER AND R.N.R. OFFICERS' DECORATION. TERRITORIAL EFFICIENCY MEDAL. MILITIA LONG SERVICE. JUBILEE AND DIAMOND JUBILEE MEDALS. GEORGIAN CORONATION AND DURBAR MEDALS. II LLOYDS MEDAL FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA. RIBBONS OF MERITORIOUS, LONG SERVICE AND OTHER MEDALS. THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 161 people in the home country wearing this ribbon. The medal when awarded to Englishmen is, accordingly, rather rare, but may be bought for a guinea if possessed of no bars and inscribed with the name of a native soldier. With the bar for Kumassi, the piece is worth 2. Some few years back a specimen awarded to an English doctor was sold for 3 175. 6d. The China Medal of 1900. Late in the year 1899, a British missionary was murdered by Chinese fanatics who belonged to a society known as the Boxers. These people desired to rid their country of foreigners, especially those whose work it was to teach Christianity, and thus it happened that the British subject met his death. The home Government protested to the Chinese authorities, but it soon became clear that the latter had not sufficient hold over the rebels, nor, perhaps, the inclination to prevent further excesses. As other powers had suffered at the hands of the Boxers, it was decided to form a composite expeditionary force, made of units from India, France, the United States, Japan, Germany and Russia, to deal with the mur- derers. When this became known within the celestial empire, a wholesale massacre of the foreign element in Pekin was attempted, but those who were attacked sought refuge in the legations. The fighting then resolved itself, largely, in and around these homes of the foreign powers. In 1902 a British medal was struck for presentation to all who took part in the various engagements. It must be mentioned that a few weeks before her last illness Queen Victoria planned the details of the piece, and these were adhered to by King Edward after his mother's death. Thus the first and last medals to L l62 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR bear Victoria's profile were both commemorative of successes in China. The obverse depicts the Queen as she appears on the South Africa medal for 1899-1902. The reverse gives the same group of arms and shield as were used for the earlier China pieces, but the exergue bears the date 1900. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is crimson with yellow edges. The bars are narrow and squared at the corners. They bear the inscriptions, Taku Forts, Defence of the Legations, and Relief of Pekin. Many specimens were given without bars. As the three China medals are apt to prove con- fusing, it may be well to give the following tabulation of their differences : 1842. Wyon's profile of Victoria. The date, 1842, in the exergue. The clasp is a slot attachment. There were no bars. The edges of the ribbon are of a dull gold. 1857-60. Wyon's profile of Victoria. No date in the exer gue. The clasp is curved. The bars are " fish- tailed." The crimson is slightly purplish. (There is also an alternative ribbon.) 1900. The same profile as on the S. Africa piece of 1899-1902. The date, 1900, in the exergue. The clasp is straight. The bars are square- cornered. The crimson is of a brick shade. A fair price for the third China medal is ten shillings if awarded to one of the Welsh Fusiliers, and from five shillings to seven-and-six when impressed with the name of an Indian soldier. One bar will add a few shillings to the above amounts. Naval medals with THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 163 no additional honours are numerous and common, but when displaying bars are much sought after. One medal given to a lance-corporal in the Royal Marines, with a bar for the Legations, has sold for 9 los. The Africa General Service Medals. The reader will have noticed that in the middle of the nineteenth century there were so many encounters in India that the authorities were compelled to institute an India General Service medal. Towards the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, the same position was being enacted in Africa. Award after award followed in rapid sequence, and the authorities rightly determined, in 1902, to issue an Africa General Service medal. The obverse of the new G.S. piece gives the profile of King Edward, which we have already described. It is not altogether appropriate, as His Majesty is dressed as a soldier, and most of the awards have gone to the Navy. The reverse is the same as that mentioned for the East and Central Africa decoration of 1897-9, Britannia appearing with a lion, but the exergue is filled with the single word, Africa. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is yellow, with wide black edges and two pin stripes of green running through the yellow. It was struck in silver for general distribution and bronze for camp attendants. Many bars have been issued; in fact, the piece is never awarded without one or more additional honours. The following complete the list : N. Nigeria (with no date but for operations in 1900-1), N. Nigeria 1903, N. Nigeria 1903-4, N. 164 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Nigeria 1904, N. Nigeria 1906. All these bars were duplicated for 5. Nigeria. East Africa 1902, East Africa 1904, East Africa 1905, East Africa 1906, West Africa 1906, West Africa 1908, Somaliland 1901, Somaliland 1902-4, Somaliland 1908-10, Jubaland, Uganda 1900, 5.C.A 1899-1900, Gambia, Aro 1901- 1902, Lango 1901, Jidballi, Kissi 1905, Nandi 1905-6. The A.G.S. award was re-issued in 1916 with the profile of King George, and has, so far, been granted with bars for Shimber Berris 1914-15, Nyasaland 1915, East Africa 1913-14, East Africa 1913, East Africa 1914, East Africa 1915, and Jubaland 1917-18. The 1902 award is worth at least a guinea. The Tibet Medal. A mission sent by the Indian Government to the seat of authority in Tibet in 1903 was suddenly surrounded and fired on. The officers and men acted with splendid courage and, though taken by surprise, beat off the aggressors. Further disturbances occurred as a result of this incident, and many members of the Royal Fusiliers, the Norfolk Regiment, and certain Indian contingents were called upon to restore order. Later, a medal was prepared for distribution to all who fought between December 13, 1903, and September 23, 1904. The obverse portrays King Edward as before. The reverse depicts the mountain at Potala a Lhassa with a fortress at the summit. Around the lower part of this face of the medal we read, Tibet, 1903-4. The clasp shows a revival of the old curved scroll pattern. The ribbon is purplish-plum with edges of white and green. THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 165 One bar was awarded for Gyantse, where much sporadic fighting took place between May 3 and June 6, 1904. This item is somewhat uncommon, and, as few specimens have come upon the market, it is a little difficult to suggest even an approximate value. We remember, however, seeing a copy with the bar offered by Messrs. Spink and Son at i 75. 6d. The Natal Medal. The Zulu troubles of 1906 led the Natal Government to issue a medal in 1908. The piece was prepared by the Goldsmiths' and Silver- smiths' Company. The obverse shows a truncated bust of King Edward, facing right. His Majesty has a care-worn expression which is not pleasing. The inscription is Edwardus VII. Rex Imperator. The reverse presents a particularly fine group of figures. Britannia comforts a woman, who stands for Natal. The latter holds a sword. Behind them are flags, implements of war, and a group of native people. The exergue is inscribed, Natal. A rather wide rim all round this side of the medal proves an effective finish to the workmanship. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is a pinkish-red with wide black edges. One bar is presented with the piece ; it bears the date, 1906, in bold figures. We have seen a fair number of Natal medals offered for sale. The price averages about i. The Third India General Service Medal. The second I.G.S. medal had a somewhat checkered career, for within a few years of its issue Queen Victoria died, and the effigy of King Edward was required to replace 166 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR that of the Queen. Moreover, when first awarded, a date appeared on the reverse which limited the use of the piece for future occasions. These particulars were easily rectified had the authorities been so minded, but it was rightly considered more suitable to issue an altogether fresh award, which was styled the I.G.S. medal of 1908. The obverse gives an effigy of King Edward, surrounded by the legend Edwardus VII. Kaisar-i- Hind. The reverse shows a scene depicting mountains in which a fort nestles. A tablet forming the exergue is inscribed, India. The clasp is of the old curved scroll pattern. The ribbon is a deep blue with wide edges of green. The one bar stands for North West Frontier, 1908, written in two lines. This medal has been re-issued with bars for Abor, 1911-12, and Afghan Campaign, 1919. The obverse appeared with the profile of King George V., whilst the reverse bore the same mountain view, but was redrawn in a somewhat diffused manner. The 1911-19 piece was not given to possessors of the 1908 striking. With a bar for North- West Frontier, the piece sells for half a guinea, but, with Abor, the few specimens that are to be found fetch three to four guineas. The Khedive's Sudan Medal of 1910. In 1911 a British Army Order approved of the grant of a medal by the Khedive to the forces, many of which were natives, who suppressed various local risings in the Sudan in 1911-12. Those who fought in the Atwot district between February and April, 1910, as well as THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 167 those serving in South Kordofan in November and December, 1910, received the award. The obverse of the medal gives the Khedive's cypher and other particulars in Arabic characters. The reverse reveals a lion ready to spring. Behind it is the desert dotted with palm trees, and away on the horizon the sun rises. The animal stands on a pedestal bearing the word Sudan, and below this are native weapons. Richard Garbe is responsible for this spirited tableau. The clasp is straight. The ribbon is black with red and green edges. The bars are narrower than those given with earlier pieces presented by the Khedive. The inscrip- tions, as before, are printed in both English and Arabic characters. They are now eight in number : Atwot, S. Kordofan 1901, Sudan 1912, Darfur 1916, Fasher, Zeraf 1913-14, Mongolia 1915-16, and Lau-Nuer. This piece is not uncommon. The Naval General Service Medal of 1915. In 1915 a note in the London Gazette announced that " The King has been pleased to sanction the establishment of a naval medal to be known as the Naval General Service Medal, to be awarded for service in minor warlike operations, whether in the nature of belligerency or police, which may be considered of sufficient import- ance to justify the award of a medal in cases where no other medal would be appropriate. " The medal will have a distinctive riband, white with crimson borders and two crimson stripes, and a clasp * with appropriate wording. * The word clasp, throughout this work, is used to denote the metal suspender which joins the piece, proper, to the ribbon. The 168 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 17 A Figs, i and 2. Obverse and Reverse of the Natal Medal of 1908. Fig. 3. The Khedive's Sudan Medal of 1910. Reverse. Fig. 4. The 1914 Star. In the present illustration, both faces of a typical British Campaign Medal serve to illustrate details of Nomenclature. THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 169 " His Majesty has further been pleased to approve the award of the N.G.S. medal with clasp * inscribed Persian Gulf 1909-1914, to the officers and men of His Majesty's ships who were employed in the opera- tions for the suppression of the arms traffic in the Arabian Sea or Persian Gulf N. of latitude 22 degrees N. and W. of longitude 64 degrees E. between October 19, 1909, and August i, 1914." We may add that the obverse bears a profile of King George in admiral's uniform, whilst the reverse shows Britannia, driving through the waves, in com- pany with a pair of spirited sea-horses. The 1914 Star. An Army Order of 1917 announced that the King had been pleased to signify his pleasure to recognise by the grant of a distinctive decoration, the services rendered by the military forces under the command of Field-Marshal Lord French, in France and Belgium during the earlier phase of the war in 1914, up to midnight November 22-23, 1914. Those eligible for the star are set out as " all officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, all men of the British and Indian Forces, including civilian medical practitioners, nursing sisters, nurses and others em- ployed with military hospitals, who actually served in France or Belgium on the establishment of a unit of the British Expeditionary Forces, between August 5, 1914, and midnight of November 22-23, 1914." Later it was decided to extend the grant of the Star to the naval forces, viz : " all officers and men of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Naval Reserve and word is often used, incorrectly, we think, for a bar ; it is employed in this sense in the above quotation. * See above"note. 170 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who actually served in France or Belgium on the establishment of a unit landed for service on shore " between the afore-men- tioned dates. The decoration is made of lacquered bronze, and consists of a four-pointed star, the apex of which is hidden by an imperial crown. A pair of crossed swords lie on the star so that the extremities jut out between the angles caused by the limbs. A wreath bearing the monogram, G.V., encircles the centre of the piece, and encloses a scroll inscribed, Aug.-Nov. 1914. The ribbon is red, white and blue, shaded and watered. The piece is not of a high-class production ; the metal is soft, the lacquer easily wears away, the edges are often filed so as to leave an unpleasant roughness, and the recipient's name is stamped on the back in an inferior fashion. The 1914-15 Star. After the regulations affecting the above decoration had been framed, it was deter- mined to award a similar star, suitably dated, to all who performed service after November, 1914, and before January i, 1916. To distinguish the first star from the second, the earlier one is provided with a dated bar, cast in bronze, or, when the ribbon alone is worn, a small silver rosette is fixed to the centre of the ribbon. The bar is a thin plate with a hole pierced at each corner : thus it is intended to be sewn to the ribbon. The stars have been issued in batches at short intervals, notice being given in the newspapers as each regiment's supply was ready. Here is a specimen notice 1914 STAR. THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 171 The " 1914 Star " for Officers and other ranks of the under-mentioned Regiments is now ready for issue. Applications in the case of Officers should be addressed to the Secretary, War Office (A.G. 10), 27, Pilgrim-st., E.G. 4. Other ranks should apply as follows : For : Northumberland Fusiliers. East Yorkshire Regiment. Yorkshire Regiment. Durham Light Infantry. To : The Officer in Charge of No. i, Infantry Record Office, York. For : West Yorkshire Regiment. West Riding Regiment. Yorkshire Light Infantry. York and Lancaster Regiment. To : The Officer in Charge of No. 2, Infantry Record Office, York. It should perhaps be stated that in the case of deceased officers who are eligible, their legatees or next-of-kin may obtain the decoration by applying to the Secretary, War Office (A.G. 10), at 27, Pilgrim-st., E.C-4, or to the Admiralty. Relatives of other ranks in the Army should apply to the officer in charge of the records of the particular unit. The British War Medal, 1914 18. This award hangs from the now familiar ribbon of watered orange with edges of royal blue, black and white. The piece is the work of Mr. William McMillan, who is a native of Aberdeen. Mr. McMillan studied in London and in Italy. When the war broke out he joined the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, and served in the Ypres salient in 1915. Later, he was discharged with shell 172 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR shock. He has gained a considerable reputation in Canada and elsewhere. Mr. McMillan's design was chosen from amongst fifty-one drawings submitted by prominent artists. The selection was made by a committee consisting of eminent representatives of the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Sculptors, the British Museum, the National Gallery, and the Royal Mint. To Mr. McMillan this committee awarded the first prize of 500, whilst prizes of 150 and 75 went to Mr. Charles Wheeler and Mr. C. L. G. Dorman. The medal is struck in silver, and has a straight clasp but no swivel. The obverse gives an effigy of His Majesty, as appears on the coinage, i.e. a truncated bust, facing left. Surrounding the head is the inscription Georgius V. Britt : Omn : Rex et Ind : Imp i The reverse, which is the work of Mr. McMillan, shows St. George of England trampling underfoot the eagle shield of the Central Powers and the emblems of death. Above St. George is the risen sun of Victory and the date 1914-1918. Among the illustrations, we show the actual design submitted for competition and the design as it was amended for technical pur- poses. Briefly, it may be stated that the British War Medal is to be given to all members of the Navy who com- pleted at least twenty-eight days of mobilised service, and, in the case of the Army and the Air Force to those who entered a theatre of war on duty or who left their place of residence and rendered approved service overseas. The nursing services and the various women's organisations participate on equal terms with those of THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 173 the men's services. (Further details of the medal are given below on pages 173-180.) The Mercantile Marine War Medal. This medal is available for members of the British, Dominion, Colonial and Indian Mercantile Marine who served at sea on at least one voyage through a danger zone. The obverse of the piece gives a truncated bust ot His Majesty, and the inscription as set out for the British War Medal. The reverse gives a rendering of a merchant vessel, tossed by a stormy sea, with a sailing ship in the offing. A partly sub- merged submarine is seen to the right. In the ex- ergue is the inscription, For War Service, Mercan- tile Marine 1914, 1918. A circular laurel frame serves as edge to this face. The ribbon is highly appropriate, being red and green with a narrow cen- tral stripe of white. These colours are symbolic of the port, starboard, and head lights of all vessels. The medal is bronze. The Victory Medal. This bronze award is the work of Mr. McMillan, the designer of the British War Medal. Further particulars are given below REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE WHICH SAT WITH SIR FREDERICK PONSONBY, AS CHAIRMAN, TO CONSIDER THE QUESTION OF WAR MEDALS, IN 1919 : The question of War Medals was first discussed in 1916 in con nection with the interchange of bravery medals with the Allies- \R SERVICE MERCANTILE MARINE Mercantile Marine Medal. 1914-1918. 174 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR At that time it was assumed that at the conclusion of hostilities the European custom of an interchange of War Medals would be carried out. In wars in which European countries had been allied together it had been the practice for the Allies to exchange a certain number of War Medals, e.g. the Crimean War and the Boxer rebellion. This was a comparatively easy matter when the forces engaged were not numerous, but in the present war, where armies are com- posed of millions, it would be practically impossible to distribute with any fairness a certain number of War Medals from each Ally. It would, moreover, be extremely unfair on the troops who had fought in theatres of war outside Europe, since they would probably be excluded from this distribution. In order to devise an emblem of the victorious alliance which could be worn by the soldiers and sailors of the Allied countries, it was proposed to institute an Allies' Medal. The conditions of service vary, however, in each country, and it was therefore suggested that each Allied Government should have a perfectly free hand to decide the lines on which it should be distributed, but a hope was expressed that it should, as far as possible, be associated with actual fighting. At a meeting of representatives of all the Associated Powers held in Paris in March, 1919, it was decided to put forward the following recommendations : 1. A medal of the Great War will be instituted and called the Victory Medal. 2. This medal will be distributed on principles to be decided by each Government, but in such a manner that it cannot be con- fused with a purely commemorative medal, which might be given to all mobilised men. 3. The ribbon shall be identical for all the countries, and will consist of two rainbows joined by the red in the centre. It shall be distributed as soon as possible. 4. The medal will be round (36 millimetres in width) and made of bronze. 5. As it was thought impossible to have an international com- petition in the time available, and by this means to select a single artist, it is proposed that, instead of an identical medal, the Allied and Associated Powers shall agree to have medals as nearly identical in appearance as possible. The Great War for Civilisation With this object in view, they will have the medal designed by their own artist upon the following lines : (a) On the obverse there will be a winged figure of Victory, full length in the middle of the medal, and full face ; the borders and the background plain, without either inscription or date. THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 175 (fc) On the reverse there will be an inscription, " The Great War for Civilisation," translated into the different languages, and either the names of the different Allied and Associated Powers or their coats-of-arms. (c) The rim will be plain. After the Allied Governments had agreed to the proposal, the question was discussed how this medal should be distributed to the troops throughout the British Empire, and the obvious scheme of restricting it to troops who had been engaged in actual fighting at once presented itself. But on referring the matter to experts at the War Office who had been engaged in former distributions of War Medals, it was found that, owing to the great depth of fire zone under modern conditions, the expressions " under fire " and " in the presence of the enemy " were very difficult to define with any degree of accuracy, and therefore that even if any precise definitions could be made, it would take many years to examine and adjudicate the claims of so many million men. Even then this distribution would be unsatisfactory. It was therefore decided that all that was possible was to give a distinctive reward to those who had entered a theatre of war. As regards the Army, it was therefore proposed to restrict the Allies' medal to those officers and men who had entered a theatre of war on the strength of any military unit. The Navy Medal The problem as regards the Navy was somewhat different. Although there would not be the same difficulty as would be experi- enced when dealing with the Army in distinguishing between those who had been engaged in fighting and those who had not, yet it was considered that the definition " all officers and men who had been afloat on duty " would be analogous to the definition applied to military personnel, viz. " all officers and men who had entered a theatre of war on duty and on the strength of any unit " it was therefore decided to adopt the former condition of award for naval personnel. Air Force Qualifications If this analogy was carried on to the Air Force, it would neces- sarily follow that all those who had been up in the air would be eligible for the Allies' medal, but after consideration in was found that the qualifications in the Army and Navy could in no way be applied to the Air Force, and that distinct conditions of service would have to be drawn up. The Air Council therefore proposed the following : i. All the officers and men who had been posted to a unit in any theatre of the war outside Great Britain. 176 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 18 Fig. i. The British War Medal, 1914-1918. Obverse. Fig. 2. The British War Medal, 1914-1918. Reverse. Fig. 3. The Artist's Original Design from which the Reverse was adapted. Fig. 4. The Victory Medal. PLATE XVIII THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 177 2. All officers and men of operational units in Great Britain who have been actively engaged in the air against the enemy. 3. All officers and men employed on flying new aircraft to France. 4. All officers and men who have formed part of the complement of aircraft carrying ships. The Operational Units include those employed on the following duties : (a) Airships employed on Fleet reconnaissance, convoy work, and anti-submarine patrols. (b) Aeroplanes and seaplanes employed on coast reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols. (c) Aeroplanes and seaplanes employed to protect Great Britain from hostile air raids. The Victory Medal obviates the interchange of medals between the Associated Powers, and therefore no one will be permitted to accept a foreign war medal of any description. THE BRITISH WAR MEDAL The British war medal will be given to all officers and men who have left their native shores in any part of the British Empire, whether they eventually entered a theatre of war or not. Men who left the United Kingdom to garrison any part of the British Empire, and equally men from the Dominions who came to this country but did not later go to France, will therefore be entitled to this medal. DIFFERENT THEATRES OF WAR A general desire was expressed to have a separate medal for each theatre of war, but on inquiry it was found that there were several hundred thousand men who had served in more than one theatre of war. As many as 150,000 had even served in four. As it would obviously be unjust to give these men four medals, while the greater portion of the Army serving in France would only receive one, it was decided to abandon the idea of separate medals for each theatre of war. BATTLE CLASPS It was first considered that owing to the kaleidoscopic nature of the war, and the protracted periods and extensive areas covered by the battles, it would be impossible to award " battle " clasps. It was thought that the examination of different claims would be such a vast undertaking that the issue of clasps would not be possible for many years. It was therefore decided to award " date " clasps only. A very strong desire was, however, expressed that " battle " M 178 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR clasps should be awarded. It was represented that there was not the same urgency with regard to the issue of clasps as there was with regard to the issue of medals, and that the British soldier would prefer " battle " clasps, even though their issue would be protracted, than none at all. The matter was therefore re-con- sidered, and a special committee, composed of representatives of all three services the Navy, the Army, and Air Force, and of each of the Dominions has been appointed to report on whether battle clasps are possible, and if so to decide what " battle " clasps should be awarded. No WAR WORKERS' MEDAL In the spring of 1915 Lord Kitchener made the following an- nouncement in the House of Lords : " I am glad to be able to state that His Majesty has approved that where service in this great work of supplying munitions of war has been thoroughly, loyally and continuously rendered, the award of the medal will be granted on the successful termination of the war." The question has now arisen how Lord Kitchener's pledge can be put into practice. The matter has been carefully considered irom this point of view by various committees appointed for the purpose. The three main practical points which had to be considered were (a) To what classes of war workers, in practice, the medal could be awarded. (b) Whether existing machinery is available for the distribution of the medal. (c) Whether there is a desire on the part of the workers generally that this medal should be given. Taking the second point first, there is no administrative machinery in existence which could give effect to the distribution of the medal, and the records of the late Ministry of National Service would not be of much use in this connection. Machinery would have to be set up for the purpose. As regards the first point, there is the preliminary difficulty of defining " munitions of war." No justification can be sustained for distinguishing between the various kinds of munitions such as guns, small arms, ammunition, and explosives, which, no doubt, were in Lord Kitchener's mind when he made his pledge, and those which have been developed since then, such as tanks, aeroplanes, poison gas ; as well as equally essential articles, such as mechanical transport, railway materials, optical stores, machine tools, gauges, etc. Further, the claims of those engaged in the shipbuilding industry and the production of raw materials cannot well be ignored ; while workers in many firms have often been concurrently engaged THE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 179 on munitions of war and essential civil work in such a way as to make it impossible to distinguish between the workers engaged in each of these classes of work. There has also been a considerable flow of workers into and out of all factories. 6,000,000 People Affected If Lord Kitchener's pledge were to be read as applying to " war work " generally, it is probable that some 6,000,000 people would be affected. Even then it would not be easy to refuse a demand for the inclusion of workers engaged on " other Government work," much of which may be deemed to have been just as essential to the progress of the war as munitions, as well as of those engaged indirectly on war work and of those who have had to perform essential civil work under more difficult conditions. It was, however, felt that, notwithstanding these difficulties, every effort must be made to find a way of honouring Lord Kitchener's pledge. It was thought that this might be done by narrowing it down to a class of war workers which had specially distinguished itself by 3oing unaccustomed war work under circumstances of special danger to life and health. These conditions, emphatically existed in the case of women employed on dangerous occupations in tilling, explosives, and chemical factories. Before, however, making any recommendation to this effect it was thought to be very desirable that representatives of the employers and trade unions should be consulted. The Trade Unions Advisory Committee were consulted, with the result that the representatives expressed themselves as being strongly against any award of a medal either to all workers or to any particular class of workers. In these circumstances the project of giving a general War Workers' Medal has been reluctantly dropped. It was originally intended that the Medal of the Order of the British Empire should be utilised for recognising good work generally in the case of war workeis. Owing, however, to the very strongly expressed opinions of the workers themselves, this idea was aban- doned and the grant of the medal has been confined to war workers who have, in the course of their service, shown special bravery or self-sacrifice, or who have performed some specially distinguished service. Including the January, 1919, Gazette nearly 1000 British Empire Medals have, so far, been awarded under these conditions. The medal is greatly prized by its recipients and its reputation stands very high with the public and the workers. MEDALS FOR WOMEN Women borne on the strength of an organised force will, if they have entered a theatre of war on duty, be entitled to both the 180 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR British and Allies' Medal, but women belonging to any independent organisation recognised by the Admiralty, War Office, or Air Ministry in any theatre of war will receive the British Medal only. Precedence of Medals It has been decided that these Medals and Stars shall rank in the following order : The 1914 Star, the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, the Mercantile Marine War Medal, the Victory Medal. The King has approved of an oak leaf, in bronze, being worn on the ribbon of the Victory Medal by all who have been mentioned in despatches during the late war. No more than one leaf, however, may be fixed to the ribbon even though the wearer may have been the subject of several mentions. War Medal lor Territorials. A medal, the par- ticulars of which are not yet decided, is to be issued to all members of the Territorial Force who were serving on August 4, 1914, and to all ex-members of the force who had served for a period of not less than four years before the war and who rejoined the force on the outbreak of hostilities, provided they undertook to serve overseas on or before September 30, 1914, and were passed as physically fit and accepted for service overseas, and that they are not entitled to the award of the 1914 or 1914-15 Star. CHAPTER IX BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA THE medals described throughout the pages of this book and the emblems of chivalric and other orders, mentioned in the present chapter, reveal many points in common : accordingly, a collector who possesses an array of the former will naturally be anxious to extend a welcome to the latter. There is one drawback to collecting the insignia of knightly orders : certain of them must be returned to the Lord Chamberlain's Department on the death of a member, and thus a complete set is unobtainable, however much the would-be possessor may be willing to expend in treasure on his hobby. But if the actual pieces may not be retained on all occasions, it does not mean that the connoisseur is necessarily debarred from securing minor tokens of these exalted honours. One such treasure which was sold at Christie's recently may be mentioned as an instance. It consisted of a portion of the ribbon of the Garter worn by King Charles at his execution, and sold for forty-eight guineas. Although we are mainly concerned here with collectable articles, it has been deemed advisable to include the returnable emblems in the descriptions which follow as well as those that may be bequeathed 181 182 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR on the demise of a recipient. In this way, a more complete treatise on the subject is made possible. The Most Noble Order o! the Garter takes pride of place the world over, and its twenty-five Knights Companions are people of the highest estate. The Garter originated in the fourteenth century, and owed its inception, so it is alleged, to a humiliating experience of Edward III.'s queen. A less picturesque, but probably more accurate, account of the birth of this Order is given by Haydn. Edward III., being at war with France, was eager to draw the best soldiers of Europe to his banner ; consequently, he projected a revival of King Arthur's round table and proclaimed a solemn tilting. On New Year's day, 1343-4, he published letters of protection for the safe coming and returning of such foreign knights as would venture their repu- Garter star. tation at the jousts and tournaments about to be held. A table was erected at Windsor Castle of two hundred feet diameter, and the knights who came forth were entertained at the King's expense. Later, when many of these warriors were fighting for him in France, the King used his garter for a signal during a battle which resulted in an English victory. It is supposed that the battle was Crecy, but the point is debatable. To commemo- rate this success, and to recognise the assistance of the titled soldiers who had rendered him such valuable aid, Edward instituted the Order of the Garter. The decorations which should be noted under this head are the garter, the star, the collar and the George. The Garter, worn by knights below the left knee, BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 183 and by ladies on the left arm, consists of a dark blue band of velvet, edged with gold, upon which is in- scribed, also in gold, the motto, Honi soil qui mat y pense. The buckle and pendant are worked in threads of the same metal. Garters presented to sovereigns abroad, it may be mentioned, are often studded with valuable gems. The Star, which is embroidered upon the left breast of the mantle, as well as on the surcoat, has eight silver points. These radiate from a central ornament con- taining the red cross of St. George within a circular blue garter. This device has become familiar to us from its use as the regimental badge of the Coldstream Guards. The Collar is a chain of gold to which are fastened twenty-six circular pieces.* Each of these is enamelled with a blue garter, inscribed with the motto of the Order. Within the Garter is a rose, alternately white and red. Between the circles are chains of gold, enamelled white, resembling rope twisted into true- lovers' knots. From the front of the collar hangs the George a spirited rendering of our patron saint in the act of despatching a venomous dragon. The Lesser George is similar to the George, but is enclosed in an oval band of metal bearing the motto. This badge is worn pendant from the dark blue ribbon which passes over the left shoulder and under the right arm. The insignia of the Order of the Garter are return- able at death, but the collector may see a fine set of Georges and Lesser Georges of various patterns should he be able to gain access to the collection of gems and * In reference to the twenty-five Knight Companions and the Sovereign. 184 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR jewels possessed by His Majesty, and kept at Windsor Castle. The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle takes second place, though some historians are dis- posed to claim that it originated as far back as the year A.D. 787, and is thus more antiquated than the Order of the Garter. Whitaker * mentions the story ascribed to Achaius and Hungus, who saw a bright cross in ar ' the sky whilst engaged in prayer prior to meeting Athelstan in battle. The vision so im- pressed them that they afterwards instituted the present Order to commemorate it. Of this incident there can naturally be no tangible records, but docu- ments are available to prove that James V. of Scot- land either originated or reconstructed the Order of the Thistle in 1540. As then constituted, it consisted of the sovereign and twelve knights, in imitation of Christ and his twelve apostles ; now, however, there are sixteen knights, besides various members of the Royal Family. The Badge is an eight-pointed star of gold. The front face re- veals the figure of St. Andrew Supporting the Cross to Which his Thistle Co llar Badge. name has been given. The Star is formed by combining a gold diamond and a silver cross of St. Andrew. In the centre is a purple thistle with green leaves, and around this is the motto * Whitaker's " Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Com- panionage." BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 185 of the Order, Nemo me impune lacesstt. It is worn on the left breast with the cloak. The Scots Guards use the decoration as a cap badge. The Collar is gold, enamelled in proper colours. The devices are sprigs of rue and thistles, placed alternately. The badge of the Order is worn as a pendant. The insignia of the Thistle are returnable at death. The Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick ranks third, but unlike the two previous Orders, has no mysterious birth to afford grounds for conjecture on the part of historians. It was instituted in 1783 by George III., and records of its whole career are still extant. The Lord- Lieutenant of Ireland is Grand Master, and the number of Knights is limited. The Badge is an oval of gold having in the centre a green shamrock leaf, upon which are three crowns. st Patrick star - Behind the leaf is a red cross of St. Patrick. All this is given within an oval sky-blue band inscribed with the motto Quis separabit. Outside the blue band is an oval of shamrock leaves. The Star is an eight-pointed plate of silver, having in the centre the device just described for the badge. The outer ring of shamrock leaves is, however, missing, and the setting is circular and not oval. The Collar is made of gold, and consists of a crown placed centrally, having on either side of it true lovers' knots, harps and Tudor roses. From the centre piece hangs a large harp, and to this is fixed the badge. The insignia are returnable, but an exception is made in the case of those entrusted to Lord- Lieutenants. 186 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was probably founded by Henry IV. at the time of his coronation, but the history of this Order is vague until George I. revived it in 1725. However, there are many allusions to its birth and progress in the works of illustrious writers which leave no doubt as to its early inception. The following quotation,* referring mainly to the origin of the title, is typical of many that may be found : " Those to be invested (when Prince Henry, son of James I., was created Prince of Wales) were bidden to repair to Durham House in the Strand, and were conducted in the evening to the bathing-chamber where for each of them was provided a several bathing- tub, which was lined both within and without with white linen and covered with red say. Early the next morning they were awakened with music, and at their uprising invested in their hermits' habit. So attired and without shoes they were brought into the chapel, where a solemn oath was administered to them to honour God and maintain true religion, love their Sovereign, serve their country, help maidens, widows and orphans, and to the utmost of their power, cause equity and justice to be observed." At the present time, the Order of the Bath consists of more than two thousand members who are ranged in three classes, viz. Knights Grand Cross, Knights Commanders, and Companions. Each of these classes is sub-divided into Military and Civil divisions. No member is admitted to a military division unless he be at least of the rank of commander in the Navy, or major in the Army, and then his admission is only granted when some mention in despatches * Whitaker, Op. cit., p. 69. BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 187 points to valuable service against the enemy. It should be noted that it is possible for a person to become a member of both the Military and Civil divisions. The Military Badge is an ornate Maltese cross, enamelled on gold. Between the limbs of the cross are lions, whilst white balls cap the eight points of the cross. In the centre is a rose, thistle, and shamrock, springing from a sceptre, and around this floral decora- tion are three crowns. A circular band encloses the central device, and on it is inscribed the motto, Tria junda in uno. This, in turn, is surrounded by a laurel wreath and a scroll bearing the words, Ich dien. This badge is worn by a G.C.B. hanging from the collar ; by a K.C.B. fixed to the neck-ribbon ; and by a C.B. from the button-hole. The Civil Badge is an oval of gold bearing the central device as described for the military badge, but shaped in an oval and without the German motto and laurel wreath. The Star is found in four patterns, all in silver. The Military Star given to a G.C.B. resembles the military badge, but the rose, thistle and shamrock are replaced by three crowns, whilst the cross is surrounded by a glory of flames. The Civil Star, worn by a G.C.B., has a similar central device, but the Maltese cross and the tongues of flames are omitted in favour of an eight- pointed star. The Military Star associated with the rank of G.C.B. has a centre, as before, but the outside edge partakes of the shape of a cross-pattee. The Civil Star of this degree is identical, except for the omission of the laurel wreath and German motto. Companions, it may be mentioned, do not wear stars. i88 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Bath. C.B. Military Badge. The Collar, an emblem given to Grand Crosses only, is the same for both the military and civil divisions. It is formed by an array of nine-arched crowns alter- nating with eight sprigs (roses, thistles and sham- rocks), the whole linked together by a number of gold knots, enamelled white. On the death of a member of the Order, the badge and star are retained, but the collar is returned to the Lord Chamberlain ; thus the two former insignia are available for collectors. The market prices of these pieces depend almost entirely on the position held by the original possessor, and this being so it is very difficult to state any figure which will serve as a guide to purchasers. However, we may mention that a badge and star presented by the Prince Regent to Louis XVIII. at Carlton House in 1814, was sold by Messrs. Glendining, some while back, for as little as 11, which may be considered a bargain. The Order of Merit is of comparatively recent origin, being instituted by King Edward VII. in the year 1902. It is awarded for merit of a high degree, not only of a military character, but in any way which confers some great boon on the state. There are only Bath. K.C.B. Star. Order of Merit. Military Badge. BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 189 twenty-four British members, and thus the Order may be considered extremely select. The one emblem is a badge worn around the neck, consisting of a gold cross-pattee, enamelled in blue, red, green, and white. The centre is appropriately inscribed, For Merit, on the obverse, whilst the reverse shows the Royal Cypher. A crown joins the sus- pender to the badge. When granted for military service crossed swords emerge from between the limbs of the cross, but these are absent in the case of civil awards. The emblem of the Order is not returned on the death of a recipient but, as the members are so few in number, it is rare that collectors have an opportunity of securing the badge for their cabinets. The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India originated by letters patent on February 23, 1862, in ac- cordance with a wish of Queen Victoria. The Order serves to mark the sovereign's appre- ciation of the services of the loyal native rulers, and is the highest gift that can be be- stowed on these patriotic princes. It is also given to home officials who assist in the government of the Indian Empire. The Badge is an onyx cameo, displaying a profile of Queen Victoria, facing left, and wearing an Indian The Star of Order of the Star of India. 190 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR crown. Her profile is framed by an oval band, inscribed with the motto, Heaven's light our guide. Above the oval is a five-pointed star, filled in with diamonds. The piece forms a particularly attractive jewel. The Collar, worn by Knights Grand Commanders, and from which the badge in their case hangs, is com- posed of a crown, five red and white roses, six lotus flowers, and ten sprays of palm, all enamelled in proper colours. The Star consists of a circle, out of which issues a glory of flames. In the centre is a smaller star, jewelled with diamonds, resting on a light blue circular band, inscribed with the motto mentioned above. The insignia are extremely costly, and must be returned when death over- takes a member. The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George came into being in the year 1818, and served to mark the ac- quisition of the Ionian Islands by Great Britain. At first, it was given to officials, British or native, who performed valuable service in the Ionian Is- lands, Malta, or the Medi- terranean region, but, in recent times, has been extended to those whose work in some way materially benefits any British colony. The Badge is a curious seven-limbed star with St. Michael and St. George. Badge. BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 191 V-shaped ends. It is made of gold, but is enamelled in colours. The obverse gives a picture, in the centre, of St. Michael encountering Satan, whilst the reverse reveals St. George and the dragon. Both these are framed by a circular band, inscribed with the motto Auspicium melioris <zvi. A crown surmounts the badge. The Star of the Knights Grand Cross is seven limbed, consisting of alternate rays of gold and silver. In the centre is the motto and figure of St. Michael, as found on the obverse of the badge, but projecting from this circular device is a red cross of St. George. The Star of the Knights Commanders is smaller, and follows the above in the matter of the central design. The gold Collar is formed by an array of gold lions, representing Great Britain, and white Maltese crosses. Separating these devices are the initials SG and SM, fancifully rendered. A curious central ornament, from which the badge hangs, represents a crown and two books with seven arrows issuing from each. The insignia of the Order are not returnable, and pieces are occasionally offered for sale. Their value varies considerably, and any sum between ten and twenty pounds may be asked for a star or badge. The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire came into existence to commemorate Queen Victoria's acceptance of the title of Empress of India in 1878. Its scope was extended at both her Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee. The Badge is a gold piece shaped in the form of an open rose. The centre gives a profile of the Queen with the motto, Imperatricis auspicils, on a circular band. Early patterns bore different wording. The rose is surmounted by a crown which serves as pendant. 192 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Order of the Indian Empire. Badge. ; The Star of the first class has ten rays divided into narrow flutes (scaled and unsealed), which are alternately gold and silver. The central device shows the Queen and the circular band, as on the badge, but a crown rests on the band. The Star of the second class is smaller and has silver, but no gold rays. The Collar, which is gold, has a central crown with elephants, lotus flowers, and peacocks " in their pride," on either side. The badge is worn as a pendant to the collar. All insignia, except that worn by a companion, must be returned at death. The Imperial Order of the Crown of India is reserved for ladies who have either rendered valuable service to India, or are the wives of men who can claim to have done so. Queens and royal princesses are also eligible. The only device is a Badge, which is an oval, containing the Royal Cy- pher set in pearls. There are three varieties available for collectors, i.e. with the cyphers of Victoria, Edward VII. and George V. The Royal Victorian Order was in- stituted by Queen Victoria on April 21, 1896, and was to be awarded to persons, being subjects of the British Crown, who rendered extraordinary, or personal, or important services to Her Majesty, her heirs or successors. Since its inception, the Order has, however, been greatly Badge of the Order of the Crown of India. PLATK XIX KING'S POLICE MEDAL. EDWARDIAN DURBAR MEDAL. IBI SPECIAL CONSTABULARY, 1914-9. U.S.A. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL. U.S.A. MANILA BAY MEDAL. IgjfjjM H BB U.S.A. SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR BADGE. U.S.A. CUBA PACIFICATION BADGE. I U.S.A. MEXICAN CAMPAIGN BADGE. EDWARDIAN POLICE CORONATION. GEORGIAN POLICE CORONATION. U.S.A. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL. . U.S.A. CERTIFICATE OF MERIT BADGE. U.S.A. PHILIPPINE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL. U.S.A. CHINA CAMPAIGN BADG'E. U.S.A. CUBA OCCUPATION BADGE. U.S.A. HAITIAN CAMPAIGN BADGE. RIBBONS OF MEDALS FOR THE BRITISH POLICE FORCES 5 ALSO U.S.A. MEDALS. BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 193 widened in scope. To-day, there are five classes of the following ranks : (i) Knights Grand Cross, G.C.V.O. ; (2) Knights Commanders, K.C.V.O. ; (3) Commanders, C.V.O. ; (4 & 5) Members of the 4th or 5th Class, M.V.O. The first-class badge is a Maltese Cross of white enamel with a crown on the upper limb. In the centre is a crimson oval bearing the Queen's cypher, and around this is a blue band inscribed, Victoria. The second and third-class badges are identical though not so large, whilst the fourth class is yet smaller. The badge of the fifth class is of the same size as the fourth, but the white enamel limbs are replaced by frosted silver limbs. The first-class star is an eight-rayed piece in " chipped silver," a small replica of the first-class badge being given as a central device. The second- class Star is Shaped like a Badge of the Royal Victorian Order. Maltese cross with the angles partly filled in. It is made of silver, as is the central device. No stars are provided for members of the three remaining classes. When promoted from a low class to a higher, a member must return his insignia to the office of the Privy Purse, but at death the badge and star may be retained by the relatives. The Distinguished Service Order being an award for military prowess, is dealt with in Chapter XL The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was instituted by King George V. in June, 1917, as a N 194 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR means of ^rewarding British and Allied subjects who rendered valued services of a character unrecognised by other decorations. The badge, worn by members of the first three classes, takes the shape of a fanciful cross in silver-gilt, enamelled pearl grey. The centre reveals Britannia, seated, the whole within a circle of crimson inscribed with the motto, For God and the Empire. A crown unites the cross, and its suspender. The badge of the fourth class is similar but smaller, and with- out coloured enamel. The fifth-class badge is silver instead of silver- gilt. The stars of the first and second class are of fluted silver, and bear the device of Britannia, as men- tioned for the badges. That of the first class, however, has eight divisions, the points of which are less acute than those of the second class. A medal, hi silver, is available for presentation to non-members whose services to the Empire warrant such recognition. The obverse of this award gives Britannia and the above motto, whilst the reverse is filled with the royal cypher and a crown. (As for the Coronation Medal, illustrated elsewhere, but without the date.) Recently the King has added a Military Division to the Order, and the following are eligible : Badge of the O.B.E. BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 195 All commissioned, warrant and subordinate officers subject to the Naval Discipline Act or employed under the orders of the Admiralty, and all commissioned and warrant officers recom- mended by any Commander-in-Chief in the field or elsewhere, or by the General Officer Command- ing, Independent Force, Royal Air Force, or employed under the War Office or Air Ministry, or under the Administrative Headquarters of Dominions or Overseas Forces, or employed under the Ministry of Munitions or the Ministry of National Service on work which, but for the creation of those Departments, would have been performed by the War Office ; and all members of the Navy, Army, Dominions, or Overseas Nursing Services, or officials of the Women's Royal Naval Service, Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps, or the Women's Royal Air Force, and such Com- mandants of the Women's Legion or similar organi- sations as are under contract with or employed by the Admiralty, War Office, or Air Ministry. The Insignia of the Military division is similar to that granted for the Civil branch, but, in the former case, the purple ribbon is distinguished by a narrow central stripe of red. The Order of the Companions of Honour originated in June, 1917, and thus dates from the same time as the Order of the British Empire. Unlike the latter, its members are limited, the full complement being fifty. Men and women are both eligible for membership, which " will be conferred on persons for whom this distinction seems to be the most appropriate form of recognition, constituting, as it will, an honour ig6 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR disassociated either from the acceptance of title or the classification of merit." The badge is a crowned oval, and reveals an oak tree with a shield, bearing the Royal Arms, hanging from one of the branches. To the left of the tree, and facing it, is a knight on horseback. A blue frame runs round the badge, and on it is given the motto of the Order a line from Pope, In action faithful and in honour clear. This badge is suspended by a carmine ribbon having two gold stripes. With men, it is hung around the neck, whilst ladies wear it on a bow pinned to the left shoulder. The Imperial Service Order came into being at the time of the coronation of King Edward, and serves to decorate members of the Civil Service who merit distinction. A period of twenty-five years' faithful service is required for those employed at home, twenty years when service has been rendered by British subjects in Inda, and sixteen years or, in special cases, a lesser period when such service has been completed in a colony with a trying climate. Men and ladies are both admitted to the Order. The badge for men is an eight-pointed silver star, the upper point of which is obscured by a crown. The centre is gold and bears, in blue enamel, the Royal Cypher and the words, For Faithful Service. The ladies' badge has a laurel wreath instead of the star, and the piece is suspended by a bow of ribbon. A medal is also available for members who are worthy of recompense, but who have not fulfilled all the conditions requisite for the badge. This decoration is similar to the above, but the centre is silver and the outer star of bronze. BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 197 The Order of British India was created by Queen Victoria at the time of her coronation in 1837. It is a purely military order, confined to native officers in the Indian army. An allowance accompanies membership. The badge of the first class is a star of eight blunt points, the whole consisting of gold rays. At the apex is a gold crown. In the centre is a gold lion of full length, facing left, on a light blue ground. Surrounding it is a blue band inscribed, Order of British India. The badge of the second class is slightly smaller, the crown is missing, and the enamel is dark blue. The ribbon used for suspending both insignia around the neck is reddish-claret. The Indian Order of Merit must not be confused with the Order of Merit which is a home distinction of much higher precedence. There are three military classes. Admission to the third class is granted to native officers or men, without distinction of rank, who perform valuable service in the field. Admission to the second class is permitted to members of the third class, only, who have performed a second service of merit, whilst admission to the first class is open to those who are in the second class and have again distinguished themselves. Increase of pay is awarded to all members of the Order. The badge of the first class is an eight-pointed star of gold, having a dark blue centre charged with a pair of crossed swords and the inscription, Reward of Valour. A gold laurel wreath encircles the inscription. The badge of the second class is of similar design, but the star is silver and the centre piece and laurel wreath are gold. The badge of the third class is again similar, but fashioned wholly in silver. 198 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR At various times we have seen a number of these decorations for sale. The third-class badge, when engraved with the recipient's name, is usually priced somewhere in the neighbourhood of two guineas, whilst the second and third-class badges sell for about five and eight guineas respectively. The Order of St. John of Jerusalem." The Order had its origin in Jerusalem and Acre, as an international lay confraternity for the relief of crusaders, and was later sovereign in Rhodes and in Malta, where its Knights kept gal- leys and galleons to attack the Barbary Corsairs and to prevent the spread of Turkish rule in the Mediterranean, from 1530 till 1798. Like other ancient Orders of Chivalry, the Order of St. John had also Priores and Commanderies Badge of the Order in the different countries of Europe, of St. John of Jeru- those in England and Scotland being dissolved at the same time as the monasteries. The Order was expelled from Malta by Napoleon in 1798. . . . After the loss of Malta, the Ordinary Council of the Order assisted in the recon- struction of what is now the Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, whose Chancery is at the Gatehouse in Clerkenwell. . . . The work of the British Order is the control of the St. John's Ambulance Association and Brigade, and of the British Ophthalmic Hospital at Jerusalem." * The badge of the Order is a Maltese cross with a lion or unicorn placed in each of the angles between the * Whitaker, pp. 75-76. BRITISH ORDERS AND THEIR INSIGNIA 199 limbs of the cross. According to the grade of the recipient, the badge has, or has not, a crown surmount- ing it, and it may be found embellished in gold or silver. The medal, awarded to honorary serving brothers or sisters, is circular, and bears on its front face, a white enamelled cross, silver edged, on a black ground. The medal given for conspicuous gallantry, involving risk of life on land, has a Maltese cross and the inscrip- tion, For Service in the Cause of Humanity, on the obverse, whilst the reverse is filled by a spray of St. John's wort and the legend, Jerusalem England. Awarded by the Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England. The Order of the League of Mercy has a somewhat different bearing to the orders already mentioned, but may, nevertheless, be given a place here. It is an institution founded in 1899 by royal charter, to raise monies for King Edward's Hospital Fund and, generally, to alleviate sickness, suffering and poverty. Members who give ungrudging assistance for a period of five years at least, are awarded a badge. The badge consists of a red cross having a plume of feathers emerging from the upper limb. In the centre is a circular medallion giving Sir Joshua Reynolds's picture of " Charity." Recently the King approved of the institution of a bar to be awarded to those who give their services for a long period of years. At the eighteenth annual meeting, the Chairman announced that " His Majesty has been graciously pleased to award the first bar to Dura, Countess ot Chesterfield, Lady President for South Kensington, whose district has stood at the head of the list with the 200 largest aggregate collection to its credit from 1899 to the present time." The Order of Victoria and Albert was instituted in 1862 for ladies only, but new members are no longer accepted. The badge of the first three classes consists of a fanciful oval, the centre of which is filled by the profiles of Queen Victoria and Prince Consort, the former partly overlapping the latter. The size of the badge and the arrangement of the jewels in the border varies with the three classes. The fourth class bears the royal cypher of Victoria in place of the double profiles. CHAPTER X THE VICTORIA CROSS EARLY History. One afternoon in May, 1855, a number of Crimean heroes paraded before Queen Victoria to receive the medal bearing bars for Alma, Inkermann and Balaklava. The ceremony deeply impressed Her Majesty for, in a letter written shortly afterwards to her uncle, the King of the Belgians, she said, " Noble fellows ! I own I feel as if they were my own children : my heart beats for them as for my nearest and dearest. One must revere and love such soldiers as these." Her meeting with these splendid men many of them sadly maimed, all of them broken in the war revealed to her, as nothing else cbuld have done, the need not only for campaign medals which all soldiers and sailors receive, but for special awards to distinguish those who perform deeds of exceptional bravery. From that day, we learn the Queen began to make plans for the decoration which we now know as the Victoria Cross. The idea of the award was hers, the method of granting it was hers, and the design, which is bold and fitting, we owe to her husband, the Prince Consort. It is no easy task to evolve u. token, worth an insignificant sum, which men prize so highly that they value it more than their own lives. This, however, is 201 202 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR what she was able to do, and with practically no official assistance. The smallest details surrounding the coveted award were watched over by her. Lord Panmure, for instance, suggested that the motto should be For the Brave. " No," replied the Queen, " this would lead to the inference that only those are deemed brave who have the Victoria Cross." She preferred For Valour, and a more fitting inscription for the decoration could not be found. The first official intimation dealing with the decora- tion bears the date of February 5, 1856, and was issued by the War Department. It ran as follows : " The Queen has been pleased, by an instrument under her Royal Sign Manual, of which the following is a copy, to institute and create a new Naval and Military Decoration, to be styled and designated ' The Victoria Cross,' and to make the rules and regulations therein set forth under which the said Decoration shall be conferred. " Victoria, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, etc., to all whom these presents shall come, Greeting. " Whereas We, taking into Our Royal Consideration that there exists no means of adequately rewarding the individual gallant services either of officers of the lower grades in Our Naval and Military Service, or of warrant and petty officers, seamen and marines in Our Navy, and non-commissioned officers and soldiers in Our Army : and whereas the third class of Our Most Honourable Order of the Bath is limited, except in very rare cases, to the higher ranks of both Services, and the granting of Medals, both in Our Navy and THE VICTORIA CROSS 203 Army, is only rewarded for long service or meritoiious conduct, rather than for bravery in action or distinction before an enemy. Such cases alone excepted where a general medal is granted for a particular action or campaign, or a clasp added to the medal for some special engagement, in both of which cases all share equally in the boon, and those who by their valour have particularly signalised themselves, remain un- distinguished from their comrades. Now, for the purpose of attaining an end so desirable as that of rewarding individual instances of merit and valour, We have instituted and created a new Naval and Military Decoration, which We are desirous should be highly prized and eagerly sought after by the officers and men of Our Naval and Military Services, and are graciously pleased to make, ordain and establish the following rules for the government of the same, which shall from henceforth be inviolably observed and kept : " Firstly. It is ordained, that the distinction shall be styled and designated The Victoria Cross, and shall consist of a Maltese cross of bronze, with Our Royal Crest in the centre, and underneath an escroll bearing the inscription For Valour. " Secondly. It is ordained that the Cross shall be suspended from the left breast, by a blue riband for the Navy and by a red riband for the Army. " Thirdly. It is ordained that the names of those upon whom We may be pleased to confer the Decoration shall be published in the London Gazette, and a registry thereof kept in the Office of Our Secretary of State for War. " Fourthly. It is ordained, that any one who, after 204 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR having received the Cross, shall again perform an act of bravery, which if he had not received such Cross, would have entitled him to it, such further act shall be recorded by a Bar attached to the riband by which the Cross is suspended, and for every additional act of bravery an additional Bar may be added. " Fifthly. It is ordained, that the Cross shall only be awarded to those officers or men who have served Us in the presence of the enemy, and shall have then per- formed some signal act of valour, or devotion to their country. " Sixthly. It is ordained with a view to place all persons on a perfectly equal footing in relation to eligibility for the Decoration, neither rank, nor long service, nor wounds, nor any other circumstance or condition whatsoever, save the merit of conspicuous bravery shall be held to establish a sufficient claim to the honour. " Seventhly. It is ordained that the Decoration may be conferred on the spot where the act to be rewarded by the grant of such Decoration has been performed under the following circumstances : (I.) When the Fleet or Army, in which such act has been performed, is under the eye and command of an Admiral or General Officer commanding the Forces. (II.) Where the Naval or Military Force is under the eye and command of an Admiral or Commodore com- manding a squadron or detached naval force, or of a General commanding a corps, or division, or brigade on a district and detached service, when such Admiral, Commodore, or General Officer shall have the power of conferring the Decoration on the spot, subject to confirmation by Us. THE VICTORIA CROSS 205 " Eighthly. It is ordained, where such act shall not have been performed in sight of a Commanding Officer as aforesaid, then the claimant for the honour shall prove the act to the satisfaction of a Captain or Officer commanding his ship, or to the Officer command- ing the regiment to which the claimant belongs, and such Captain, or such Commanding Officer shall report the same through the usual channel to the Admiral or Commodore commanding the force employed in the service, or to the Officer commanding the forces in the field, who shall call for such description and attestation of the act as he may think requisite, and on approval shall recommend the grant of the Decoration. " Ninthly. It is ordained that every person selected for the Cross, under Rule Seven, shall be publicly decorated before the naval or military force or body to which he belongs, and with which the act of bravery for which he is to be rewarded shall have been performed, and his name shall be recorded in a General Order, together with the cause of his especial distinction. " Tenthly. It is ordained that every person selected under Rule Eight shall receive his Decoration as soon as possible and his name shall likewise appear in a General Order as above required, such General Order to be issued by the naval or military Commander of the Forces employed on the service. " Eleventhly. It is ordained that the General Orders above referred to shall from time to tune be transmitted to Our Secretary of State for War, to be laid before Us, and shall be by him registered. " Twelfthly. It is ordained that as cases may arise not falling within the rules above specified, or in which a claim, though well founded, may not have been 206 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR established on the spot, We will, on the joint submis- sion of Our Secretary of State for War and of our Com- mander-in-Chief of Our Army, or on that of Our Lord High Admiral or Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty in the case of the Navy, confer the Decoration, but never without conclusive proof of the performance of the act of bravery for which the claim is made. " Thirteenthly. It is ordained that, in the event of a gallant and daring act having been performed by a squadron, ship's company, a detached body of seamen or marines, not under fifty in number, or by a brigade, regiment, troop or company, in which the Admiral, General, or other Officer commanding such forces, may deem that all are equally brave and distinguished, and that no special selection can be made by them : then in such case, the Admiral, General, or other Officer commanding, may direct, that for any such body of seamen or marines, or for every troop or company of soldiers, one Officer shall be selected by the Officers engaged for the Decoration ; and in like manner one Petty Officer or Non-Commissioned shall be selected by the Petty Officers and Non - Commissioned Officers engaged and two Seamen or Private Soldiers or Marines shall be selected by the Seamen, or Private Soldiers, or Marines, engaged, respectively, for the Decoration ; and the names of those selected shall be transmitted by the Senior Officer in command of the naval force, brigade, regiment, troop or company, to the Admiral or General Officer commanding, who shall in due manner confer the Decoration as if the acts were done under his own eye. " Fourteenthly. It is ordained that every Warrant Officer, Petty Officer, Seaman or Marine, or Non- commissioned Officer, or Soldier who shall have received THE VICTORIA CROSS 207 the Cross shall, from the date of the act by which the Decoration has been gained, be entitled to a Special Pension of Ten Pounds a year, and each additional Bar conferred under Rule Four on such Warrant or Petty Officers, or Non-Commissioned Officers or Men, shall carry with it an additional pension of Five Pounds per annum. " Fifteenthly. In order to make such additional provision as shall effectually preserve pure this most honourable distinction, it is ordained, that if any person on whom such distinction shall be conferred be con- victed of treason, cowardice, felony, or of any infamous crime, or if he be accused of any such offence and doth not after a reasonable time surrender himself to be tried for the same, his name shall forthwith be erased from the registry of individuals upon whom the said Decoration shall have been conferred by an especial Warrant under Our Royal Sign Manual, and the pension conferred under Rule Fourteen shall cease and deter- mine from the date of such Warrant. It is hereby further declared that We, Our Heirs and Successors, shall be the sole judges of the circumstance demanding such expulsion : moreover, W r e shall at all times have power to restore such persons as may at any time have been expelled, both to the enjoyment of the Decoration and Pension. " Given at our Court at Buckingham Palace, this Twenty-ninth day of January, in the nineteenth year of Our reign, and in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six. " By Her Majesty's command, " (Signed) PANMURE. " To Our Principal Secretary of State for War." 208 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 20 A Fig. i. The Victoria Cross. Obverse. Fig. 2. The Victoria Cross. Reverse, showing arrangement of inscription. Note the presence of a Bar, which is that awarded to Lieut. A. Martin-Leake, R.A.M.C. This is the first V.C. Bar to be awarded. Fig. 3. The Distinguished Service Order. B Fig. i. The Military Cross. Obverse. Fig. 2. The Military Cross. Reverse. Fig. 3. The Distinguished Conduct Medal. Reverse. PLATE XX THE VICTORIA CROSS 209 Technical Particulars ol the Cross. A description of the Victoria Cross is given in clauses i and 2, above, but we may add the following particulars : The decoration hangs from a laureated clasp by means of a link which passes through a loop, shaped like a V, the latter forming part of the clasp. The reverse, or underface, has a raised edge and circle. Within the latter, the date of performance of the valorous deed is engraved. The underside of the clasp bears the name of the pos- sessor. Should obtained with S at a bar be this is impressed the rank, name, regi- ment, and date. The Cross is cast in bronze, and on leaving the mould has the appearance of a golden piece. It is then placed in the hands of a highly skilled workman who spends many hours in chasing the surface. When the detail has been properly set in relief, the piece is coated with a dark lacquer. The ribbon is then threaded through the slot clasp and a brooch pin fixed to the upper edge of the silk. Specimens are always kept in stock by the makers, who suitably engrave them when awards are to be made. The earliest Crosses were cast in metal obtained from bronze guns taken from the Russians in the Crimea,* but Chinese guns have supplied the material * Farrier-Major James Atkinson, R.A., captured the particular gun at Sebastopol which has been used for this purpose. O The Ribbon and Attachments of the V.C. 210 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR for the 1914-18 decorations. The delicate work of fashioning these coveted pieces is entrusted to Messrs. Hancocks & Co., of Sackville Street, London, W., and we might add that to them belongs the honour of having made every V.C. since the first one was prepared for Mr. Lucas, mate on H.M.S. Hecla, in 1856. We understand that Messrs. Hancocks attempted, in the first instance, to strike the Crosses by means of dies, but these broke or cracked on coming in contact with the tough metal of the piece. The casting process, therefore, was only adopted when the more expedient method of striking failed. The Number of Crosses so Jar Awarded. The collector as well as the student of historical data will find an interest in glancing through the following list, for it tells the number of Crosses that have been awarded in the various campaigns. It will be well to bear in mind the length of each war and the size of the army that was engaged when noting the figures. The War of 1914-18. Awards made between August, 1914, and February 4, 1920 .... 579 Indian Mutiny, 1857-9 . . . . .182 Crimea and Baltic, 1854-5 . . . . in Boer War, 1899-1902 ...... 78 Zululand, 1879 23 Afghanistan, 1878-80 . . . . . .16 New Zealand, 1860-1 ; 1863-6 . . . .15 India (N.W. Frontier), 1897-8 . . . .11 China, 1860-2 ....... 8 Basutoland, 1879 and 1881 ..... 6 Boer War, 1880-1 6 Somaliland, 1902-3 ...... 6 Little Andaman Island, 1867 .... 5 Ashantee, 1873-4 ....... 4 Sudan, 1884 ....... 4 Omdurman, 1898 ....... 4 Persia, 1856-7 ....... 3 THE VICTORIA CROSS 211 Japan (H.M.S. Euryahts), 1864 .... 3 Egypt, 1882 ...... N.W. India (Hunza-Nagar), 1891 .... N.E. India (Bhootan), 1864-5 .... 2 Matabeleland, 1896 ...... 3 N.W. India (Umbeyla), 1863 2 Abyssinia, 1867-8 ..... 2 Burma, 1889 ....... 2 Ashanti, 1900 ....... 2 China, 1900 ........ 2 Canada, 1866 ....... West Africa (Gambia), 1866 N.E. India (Looshai), 1871-2 .... Perak, 1875-6 ....... Beloochistan, 1877 ...... S. Africa (Kaffir War), 1877-8 .... India (Naga Hills), 1879-80 ..... Nile Expedition, 1884-5 ..... N.E. India (Manipur) ...... West Africa (Gambia), 1892 ..... Burma, 1893 . . . . . . . Chitral, 1895 Khartoum (Gedarif Kassala), 1898 Crete, 1898 Nigeria, 1903 ....... Tibet, 1903-4 . Thus there were 522 awards from the time the Cross was first given to the day war broke out with the Central Powers in August, 1914. Queen Victoria Distributes the First Crosses. The first distribution of the coveted Crosses took place on the morning of June 26, 1857, in Hyde Park. The ceremony, though it was probably the most memorable ever witnessed in these public grounds, took less than an hour to perform. At ten o'clock, a royal salute was fired and the Queen, on horseback, rode to the spot selected for the presentations, accompanied by the Prince Consort, the Prince of Wales (afterwards Edward VII.), and others. Lord Panmure, the 212 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Secretary for War, held in his hand a list of the heroes sixty-two in all and, as he read out the names, one by one, the brave men stepped forward and the Queen pinned the medals to their breasts. When all the awards had been distributed a review of troops followed. The First Man to Win the Cross. This fortunate and brave man was Mr. Charles David Lucas, mate on H.M.S. Hecla. During the Crimean War, Rear- Admiral Plumridge's squadron was cruising in the Baltic Sea, and on June 21, 1854, the Hecla, Odin and Valorous shelled the main fort of Bomarsund, but did little damage as their ammunition was limited and the buildings were proof against the explosives used in those days. During the engagement the Russians dropped a live shell on Lucas's vessel. It was on the point of exploding and, had it done so, the conse- quences would have been disastrous. Without a moment's hesitation, the Hecla' s mate rushed to where it lay, picked it up in his arms and flung it overboard. His courageous act saved many of his comrades' lives, and he was promptly promoted to the rank of lieu- tenant, and later was awarded the V.C. The Royal Humane Society also bestowed on him their silver medal. Lucas reached the rank of Rear-Admiral and served his country in later wars. He died not many years ago. The reader may have noticed that this act of bravery took place on June 21, 1854, and the Cross was not instituted until February, 1856. The explanation is that Queen Victoria graciously decided that the awards should be distributed as though the Victoria Cross had come into being with the commencement of the Russian hostilities. THE VICTORIA CROSS 213 The First Army V.C.s. Lucas, as we have indicated, was a naval man, and his Cross was, there- fore, threaded with a blue silk ribbon. Who gained the first piece suspended by a crimson ribbon is a question that cannot be answered, for six gallant men did heroic deeds on the day of the storming of the Alma, and no Army Crosses had been distributed prior to then. For their splendid heroism they were given the Cross, their names being Robert James Lindsay (afterwards Lord Wantage). James McKechnie. John Simpson Knox. William Reynolds. Luke O'Connor. Edward W. D. Bell. The First Air V.C. The first V.C. hero of the air was Second Lieutenant W. B. Rhodes-Moorhouse, of the Special Reserve, R.F.C. On April 26, 1915, he flew to the important junction of Courtrai and dropped bombs on the railway line near that station. Having accomplished his work, he started on the return journey, but was mortally wounded. Although he must have been suffering considerably, he succeeded in flying thirty-five miles to his destination, and there made a report of his operations. The plucky way in which he stuck to his machine and brought it back safely to the British lines evoked the highest admiration, but, unfortunately, he did not live to receive the Cross in person. Posthumous Awards. It may surprise many readers to learn that until 1902 there was a rule which said that no Cross was to be forwarded to the relatives of a V.C. hero if the person died during the performance 214 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR of the gallant act, or before the bestowal of the decora- tion. In these cases, the name of the person was placed among the official records and a description of the performance printed in the London Gazette. Such a rule seemed unnecessarily harsh, and King Edward VII. caused it to be deleted from the warrant. Not only did he rule that in all future cases the relatives of a dead hero were to be given the decoration, but he decided that in every case where the Cross had been withheld, for this reason, since its inception in 1856, the relatives could come forward and claim it. In 1916 King George gave further consideration to the granting of posthumous awards, with the result that an Army Order was issued, as follows : " The Insignia of an Order or Decoration conferred by the King for distinguished or meritorious service, since August 4, 1914, upon an officer or soldier who has not survived to receive it may be publicly presented to the next-of-kin, if they so desire, and are resident in the United Kingdom. " The Victoria Cross, the G.C.B., G.C.M.G., K.C.B., and K.C.M.G. will be presented by his Majesty in person, while the C.B., C.M.G., the D.S.O., Military Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal, Military Medal and Meritorious Service Medal will be presented on his Majesty's behalf by general officers commanding at parades of troops, to be held from time to time, at convenient centres throughout the country. " Expenses of conveyance only will be allowed, when desired, in the case of one relative, or in excep- tional cases, such as those of age or infirmity, of a second relative. THE VICTORIA CROSS 215 ' The next-of-kin of deceased officers and soldiers to whom orders and decorations have already been forwarded may also attend a presentation under the above conditions." Crosses not Gained in the Presence of the Enemy. In the original warrant issued in 1856, clause 5 stated that " the Cross shall only be awarded to those who have served Us in the presence of the enemy," but in the London Gazette of August 10, 1858, the following passage appeared : " By a warrant under Her Royal Sign Manual, August 10, 1858, Her Majesty was pleased to direct that the Victoria Cross should be conferred subject to the rules and ordinances already made on Officers and Men of Her Majesty's Naval and Military Services who may perform acts of conspicuous courage and bravery under circumstances of extreme danger, such as the occurrence of a fire on board ship or of the foundering of a vessel at sea, or under any other circumstances in which through the courage and devotion displayed life or public property might be saved." Thus the need for performing the brave deed in the presence of the enemy no longer held. No awards were made under this modified regulation until 1866, when Canada was disturbed by the raids of Fenians bands of men who did dishonour to the cause of Ireland under the pretence of striking a blow at England through Canada.* During the military activities which were set on foot to check the rebel onslaughts, a railway waggon laden with a considerable quantity of ammunition caught fire whilst standing * Bourinot, " The Story of Canada." 216 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR in Danville Station. Most of the people in the vicinity seemed at a loss to know what to do, although they saw clearly that a disastrous explosion could only be suppressed by prompt measures. A man of pluck and action was Private O'Hea ; he rushed up to the waggon, clambered among the boxes full of deadly material, located the fire, and stifled it with water handed to him by friends. The authorities recognised that it was O'Hea's presence of mind and bravery which prevented a most terrible explosion, and he was, accordingly, given the V.C. Poor O'Hea's end was a sad one ; some years ago he was lost in the Australian bush, and no trace of him has ever been found.* In 1881 the amendment of 1858, given above, was annulled by the Royal Warrant which follows : " Qualification required for the decoration of the V.C. " VICTORIA R. " Whereas doubts have arisen as to the qualifica- tion required for the decoration of the Victoria Cross, and whereas the description of such qualification on our Warrant of 2gth day of January, 1856 (it was trans- mitted to the Secretary of State for War on Feb. 5, 1856), is not uniform, Our Will and Pleasure is that the qualification shall be ' conspicuous bravery or devotion to the country in the presence of the enemy,' and that Our Royal Warrant of the 2Qth day of January, 1856, shall be read and interpreted accordingly. " Given at Our Court at Osborne, this 23rd day of April, 1881, in the 44th year of Our reign. " By Her Majesty's Command, " HUGH C. E. CHILDERS." * Wilkins, " History of the Victoria Cross." THE VICTORIA CROSS 217 Thus, once more, the V.C. could only be won in the presence of the enemy, and this rule holds to-day. For such deeds as that of O'Hea, the Albert Medal or the Board of Trade medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea would now, probably, be awarded. Civilian V.C.s. A certain number of civilians have been accorded the honour of wearing the Cross but most, if not all of them, gained the decoration during the Indian Mutiny, when every available Englishman on the spot became a fighter, whether he had accepted the Queen's shilling or not. In order to acknowledge valour performed by civilians in the presence of the enemy, the following supplementary warrant was drawn up : " Whereas during the progress of operations which We have undertaken against the insurgent Mutineers in India, it has not infrequently happened that non- military persons who have borne arms as volunteers both at Lucknow and elsewhere, have performed deeds of gallantry in consideration of which they are not eligible for this high distinction. " Now know that We have thought fit hereby to signify Our Royal Will and Pleasure that the said decoration shall be conferred on such non-military persons as aforesaid who may be qualified to receive the same in accordance with the rules and ordinances made." V.C.s of the Indian Army. Since the time of the Mutiny, the Victoria Cross has been available for British officers in command of native Indian troops, but it was not until the year 1911 that native officers and men of the Indian Army could acquire this coveted distinction ; 218 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR accordingly, the first opportunity which arose for our Asiatic brethren to gain the award was during the Great War. Sepoy Khudadad, of the I2gth Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis, was the first to receive the honour. On October 31, 1914, at Hollebeke in Belgium, when the officer in charge was wounded and one machine-gun had been put out of action by shell-fire, this gallant soldier, although himself badly hit, worked a gun until all his comrades were killed. The First V.C. Bar. The original warrant affecting the Victoria Cross stated " that any one who, after having received the Cross shall again perform an act of bravery which, if he had not received such Cross, would have entitled him to it, such further act shall be recorded by a bar attached to the riband by which the Cross is suspended." For some curious reason a good deal of controversy has arisen over the question of who received the first bar. The matter has often found its way into the press and a number of people have been variously cited not by themselves, of course as the fortunate recipients. Most of the claims fail immediately they are examined, but those of Lieutenant W. N. Hewett, R.N., Troop- sergeant-major Berryman, i7th Lancers, and Lieu- tenant A. Martin-Leake, R.A.M.C., are worth con- sideration. A well-known authority on war medals for whom we have the highest appreciation urges that the two former gallant gentlemen gained clasps at Inkermann. We fear he is wrong, for we have searched through the official records and have found no trace of a bar being awarded to the two persons he mentions. It is not THE VICTORIA CROSS 219 always possible, we know, to obtain all the necessary official evidence in matters respecting dates so far distant as that of Inkermann, and we began to wonder whether we had failed to alight upon just the document necessary to decide the point. Accordingly, we turned to Mr. Wilkins' " History of the Victoria Cross," published by Constable, wherein are photographs of nearly every hero who won the Cross prior to 1914. Hewett and Berryman appear wearing their awards, but no bars are attached, and no mention of added honours is made in the accompanying letterpress.* As a last resort we asked Messrs. Hancocks, who make the bars as well as the decorations, and we understand from them that their ledgers award the palm to Lieutenant A. Martin- Leake. Captain Arthur Martin-Leake gained his first V.C. award in the South African War, where he acted as surgeon-captain to the South African Constabulary. On February 8, 1902, in an engagement at Vlakfontein, he attended to many of the wounded under most trying circumstances. At one time he tended a man who had been badly hit, although some forty Boers were firing at him at a range of no more than a hundred yards. Then he went to an officer, and whilst bandaging him was shot three times. His devotion only ceased when he dropped from sheer exhaustion. Water was offered him to relieve his sufferings, but he only accepted it when all the other wounded had been attended to. * " No such clasp has as yet been granted, in spite of the state- ment to that effect which appears in most books hitherto published on the subject. I have the highest authority for this assertion, including the personal denial of a gallant officer, Major Berryman, who was credited by many writers with the possession of a V.C. bar." Written by D. H. Parry, in 1895, in " Britain's Roll of Glory." 220 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR The official record of Captain Martin-Leake's bar says : " Granted a clasp for most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty throughout the present campaign, especially during the period Oct. 29-Nov. 8, 1914, near Zonnebeke, when he rescued, whilst exposed to constant fire, a large number of wounded lying close to the enemy's trenches." Miscellaneous. The blue ribbon for the naval V.C. is now discontinued, and all recipients, whether in the Navy, Army or Air Force, wear the Cross suspended by a crimson ribbon. When the ribbon, alone, is worn a miniature bronze cross is pinned to it, with an additional bronze cross for each bar. Thus a V.C. with one bar The Ribbon for the v.c. is denoted by two miniature with one bar, when crosses on t h e ribbon. worn without the de- _. r . , coration. The annuity of 10, above mentioned, may be increased to 50 at the discretion of the Secretary of State when old age or infirmity have impoverished the recipient. Auction Prices. The sale of a V.C. is forbidden except after the death of the person who gained it. When pieces do appear on the market, the prices obtained for them vary considerably. 45 is probably a minimum, whilst 175 seems to be the highest figure. The rank and fame of the recipient, and perhaps in a lesser degree his regiment, affect the value. No pieces with bars have ever been sold. As the decoration is sometimes imitated, it may be well to state that its exact measurement is if inches wide, and the weight 434 grains. Chasing and finishing may cause a slight variation in these figures, but the THE VICTORIA CROSS 221 margin is insignificant. In the case of forgeries, the width is usually a trifle less than that given above, whilst the weight is seldom even approximate. Brass and iron are the metals used by most forgers ; either of these when lacquered may present a fair appearance. Messrs. Hancocks can, of course, tell in a moment whether a piece is genuine or not. CHAPTER XI SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. ONE almost feels inclined to place a sort of genea- logical table at the head of this chapter to illustrate the different degrees of merit which are attached to the various medals available for special services rendered in war. Such a table, however, might prove useful in imparting a fairly reasonable idea to the uninitiated, but it would lack a measure of accuracy which is necessary in such a work as this. However, we may give, in general terms, the following particulars which will be qualified by sub- sequent details : For a naval officer, the Victoria Cross is the highest award ; for lesser services he may obtain the Dis- tinguished Service Order, and, for services of still lesser value, the Distinguished Service Cross. For an army officer, the Victoria Cross is again the award of pre-eminence, followed by the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross. For petty officers and men in the Navy, the Victoria Cross comes first, and then the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal and the Distinguished Service Medal. For non-commissioned officers and men in the Army, the three awards are the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal. 222 SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 223 Flying officers have two special awards, the Dis- tinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Cross ; whilst, for the lower ranks in the same service, there is the Distinguished Flying Medal and also the Air Force Medal. As the Victoria Cross is dealt with in a separate chapter, we may commence our detailed account of the !:=? awards with The Distinguished Service Order. This much-coveted honour was instituted on September 6, 1886, when the following regulations were drawn up, under the authority of Queen Victoria : " Whereas we have taken into Our Royal con- sideration that the means of adequately rewarding the distinguished services of Officers in our Naval and Military Services who have been honourably mentioned in despatches are limited ; now for the purpose of attaining an end so desirable as that of re- The Ribbon and Attachments of the D.S.O. The Rosette worn on warding individual instance of the Ribbon to denote ., ,. , . . , j the possession of a meritorious or distinguished ser- Bar when the actual vice in war, We have instituted and created and by these presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors do institute and create a new Naval and Military Order of Distinction to be desig- nated as hereinafter described which We are desirous decoration is not worn. [The V.C. and 1914 Star excepted.] 224 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR should be highly prized by the Officers of Our Naval and Military Services, and we are graciously pleased to make, ordain, and establish the following rules and ordinances for the government of the same, which shall henceforth be inviolably observed and kept. "It is ordained that the Order shall consist of the Sovereign, and of such Members of Companions as We, Our Heirs or Successors, shall appoint. " It is ordained that no person shall be eligible for this distinction who doth not actually hold, at the time of his nomination, a Commission in Our Navy, in Our Land Forces, or Marines, or in Our Indian or Colonial Naval or Military Forces (the Air Service was added during the War of 1914-18) or a Commission in one of the Departments of Our Navy or Army, the holder of which is entitled to Honorary or relative Navy or Army rank, nor shall any person be nominated unless his services shall have been marked by the especial mention of his name, by the Admiral or Senior Naval Officer Commanding a Squadron or Detached Naval Force, or by the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the Field, in despatches for meritorious or distinguished service in the Field, or before the enemy. " It is ordained that Foreign Officers who have been associated in Naval and Military operations with our Forces shall be eligible to be Honorary Members of this Order. " It is ordained that this Order shall rank next to and immediately after Our Order of the Indian Empire, and that the Companions thereof shall in all places and assemblies whatsoever have place and precedency next to and immediately after the Companions of Our said Order of the Indian Empire and shall rank among SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 225 themselves according to the dates of their respective nominations. (Owing to the recent creation of certain new orders, it is now ordained that the D.S.O. ranks immediately after the Companions of Honour.) " It is ordained that the Badge of the Order, which shall consist of a gold cross, enamelled white, edged gold, having on one side thereof in the centre, within a wreath of laurel enamelled green, the Imperial Crown, in gold upon a red enamelled ground, and on the reverse, within a similar wreath and on a similar ground, Our Imperial and Royal Cypher, V.R.I., shall be suspended from the left breast by a red riband, edged blue, of one inch in width." (On July 24, 1902, it was ordained that the cypher should be changed to E. R. VII., which in turn gave place to G. R. V. on September 17, 1910.) On August 23, 1916, it was provided that a bar should be awarded for subsequent acts of high merit. The warrant said : " It is Our will and pleasure and We do hereby ordain that anyone who, after having performed services for which the Distinguished Service Order is awarded, subsequently performs an approved act of gallantry which, if he had not received the Order, would have entitled him to it, shall be awarded a Bar to be attached to the riband by which the Order is suspended, and for every additional such act an additional Bar may be added." We may add that when a bar has been awarded and the ribbon alone is worn, the possession of the bar is indicated by fixing a small silver rosette to the centre of the ribbon. Additional rosettes are added for each additional bar. Formerly, the D.S.O. could be won for an act of p 226 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR great military merit not necessarily performed in the presence of the enemy it might even be obtained in times of peace. Now, however, the Army Council has decided that it can only be awarded for service in action, this term being held to mean 1. Services under fire. 2. Distinguished individual services in connection with air raids, bombardments, or other enemy action which at the time produces conditions equivalent to services in actual combat, and demands the same per- sonal elements of command, initiative, or control on the part of individuals, and, in a lesser degree only, possibly entails the same risks. In practice, it is seldom that the highest officers receive this award though there seems to be no actual rule debarring them from the honour. In their case, merit is acknowledged by the bestowal of one of the seven orders which take precedence over all others. Auction Prices. No comparative figures can be given of the values of the V.R.I., E. R.VIL, and G. R. V. varieties of the D.S.O., for very few specimens were awarded by King Edward and, happily, it is yet too early for those of King George to have found their way on the market. Of those bearing the Victorian cypher, the lowest price known by us to have been obtained at auction is 7 ios., but many have sold for as much as three or four times this sum. The Distinguished Service Cross. From the moment the D.S.O. was instituted, it became abundantly clear that a decoration more appropriate to the junior commands was needed. In June, 1901, King Edward, therefore, sanctioned the institution of an award for the Navy known as the Conspicuous Service Cross. SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC, 227 This new Cross, undoubtedly, supplied a measure of need, but it did not go far enough. Junior com- missioned officers of the lower grades found very little opportunity of gaming the D.S.O., and were precluded from winning the Conspicuous Service Cross. Accord- ingly, a revision of the warrant was thought necessary, and on October 14, 1914, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty announced that King George had deter- mined to supersede the C.S.C. by a new decoration to be known as the Distinguished Service Cross. This latter is available for all who were mentioned in the warrant of 1901, but, in addition, it can be won by those holding commissions up to, though not including, the rank of Lieutenant-Com- mander. In both cases, the decora- tion consists of a cross-pattee. The outside edges of the limbs are curved, and the spaces between them are almost complete circles. The cross is made of silver, with a dull surface. In the centre is a raised circle containing the royal monogram and the imperial crown. The underface is plain. A silver ring acts as suspender, and through it passes a silk ribbon, blue, white, and blue, in equal widths. The Conspicuous Service Cross bears the monogram of King Edward (thus, E. R. I.), and the Distinguished Service Cross that of King George (G. R. I.)- Bars are available for subsequent acts of sufficient The Ribbon and Attach- ments of the D.S.C. 228 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR merit. These are made of silver ; are plain with con- cave horizontal and convex vertical sides. The posses- sion of a bar is indicated on the ribbon by the fixing of a silver rosette, as mentioned in the case of the D.S.O. Five pounds is a fair price for the decoration, with- out bar, but pieces are seldom offered for sale. The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. When the Crimea brought about the issue of the Distinguished Conduct medal for the Army, it was felt that a parallel award was required for the Navy, and, as a result, the Conspicuous Gallantry medal came into being during the same period of hostility. The C.G. medal was offered to petty officers and men of lesser rank in the Navy and non-commissioned officers and men in the Royal Marines. A money grant went with the award when won by the highest of these ranks. The original warrant affecting this honoured decora- tion merely instituted the piece for the duration of the Crimean War, but it was re-issued for the Ashantee rising of 1873-4, since when it has been given a per- manent place among the medals of the Navy and Marines. The earliest awards were struck with the dies of the old Meritorious Service medal, the lettering being altered by hand. This gave an untidy appearance to the piece, as the word For appeared in raised capitals whilst the rest of the inscription, Conspicuous Gallantry, was sunk, being engraved. These early pieces, also, were given the clasp of the Meritorious Service medal, which was of the curved scroll pattern ; later ones, however, have the straight clasp. The permanent pattern of this medal is as follows : SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 229 Obverse. The effigy of the reigning sovereign. King Edward and King George have appeared in naval attire. Reverse. A circle formed by a wreath and an imperial crown. Within these is the inscription hi raised characters, For Conspicuous Gallantry. Ribbon. As for the Distinguished Service Cross, i.e. blue, white and blue. Metal. Silver. Bars are available for subsequent acts of conspicuous gallantry, and rosettes are fixed to the ribbon to indicate such bars, as described for previous decorations. The collector will find, at least, four different patterns of the C.G. medal, the first of which is, of course, very rare. Pieces of the temporary pattern have sold for about 50, but the general price for the later issues is somewhere in the neighbourhood of four guineas. The Distinguished Service Medal. This medal was first issued in October, 1914, at the time of the institution of the Distinguished Service Cross. It is awarded to " petty officers and men of His Majesty's Navy and to non- commissioned officers and men of the Royal Marines who may at any time show them- selves to the fore in action or who set an example of bravery and resource under fire, but without per- forming acts of such pre-eminent bravery as would . 1W ( \ Method of fixing Bars to other Bravery and allied decorations. 230 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR render them eligible for the Conspicuous Gallantry medal." The particulars of the piece are as follows : Obverse. The effigy of the reigning sovereign in naval attire. Reverse. A circle formed by a wreath and an imperial crown. Within these is the inscription in raised characters, For Distinguished Service. Clasp. Straight. Ribbon. As for the Conspicuous Gallantry medal but with a narrow stripe of blue running down the centre of the white. Metal Silver. Bars. As for the Conspicuous Gallantry medal. Sale Price. This medal is of too recent introduction to have acquired a definite average value. The Military Cross. When the awards for the Navy had been added to and partly recast in the autumn of 1914, it became evident that the sea - service was better provided with decora- tions than the Army. To equalise this position, the Military Cross and Military Medal were instituted for the land forces. The Military Cross is an officer's decoration, being available for captains, first The Ribbon and Attach- and second lieutenants, and ments of the M.c. warrant officers of the home, Indian or Colonial armies, who are recommended by the Secretary of State for War. A novel award of SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 231 this piece is provided by the towns of Verdun and Ypres, which were.'given the Military Cross for their noble stand against the repeated onslaughts of the Germans. The Cross is a slender-limbed, straight-sided, silver decoration. The centre bears the imperial cypher, G. R. I., and an imperial crown figures at the extremity of each limb. It is hung by a chain link to a straight silver clasp, through which the white, purple and white watered ribbon passes. The reverse of the decoration is engraved with the name and other particulars of the recipient. Bars are available for distribution when the per- formance of a subsequent act merits such an honour. These are silver, and may be recognised by the presence of an imperial crown on the centre of their front face. A rosette is worn on the ribbon to indicate the possession of a bar, as described for previous decorations. The Military Cross has been awarded to several women who have shown bravery and resource when in the zone of fire. The Distinguished Conduct Medal. This medal came into being during the Crimean War and, at that tune, replaced the Meritorious Service medal which, however, has since been restored with a changed purpose. As is indicated by the inscription on the reverse, the award is given for distinguished conduct in the field, and it may only be won on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, by warrant officers, and those of lower rank. The Victorian awards give, on the obverse, a trophy of arms consisting of cannon, muskets, cannon balls, also helmets, a drum and standards, all arranged around a shield bearing the arms as displayed on the 232 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Royal Standard. This face is the work of Pistrucci, at one time chief engraver at the Mint. The Edwardian and Georgian awards display an effigy of the King in field-marshal's uniform. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern. The metal of the piece is silver. The ribbon is crimson, deep blue, and crimson in equal widths. The bars are silver, and bear a horizontal spray of leaves. When the ribbon is worn without the medal, the former bears a small rosette if the owner possesses a bar. A small pension or gratuity is given to all who are awarded the D.C.M. Four or five guineas is a fair price for a D.C.M. when possessing no special interest. Georgian pieces are, as yet, seldom seen for sale. The Military Medal was first announced in the London Gazette, during April, 1916, in the following terms : " The Military Medal which will be of silver is to be awarded to non-commissioned officers and men for individual or associated acts of bravery on the recom- mendation of a Commander-in-Chief in the Field. It will bear, on the obverse, the Royal Effigy and, on the reverse, the words For Bravery in the Field, encircled by a wreath surmounted by the Royal Cypher and a Crown. It is to be worn immediately before all war medals on the left breast, the ribbon being dark blue with three white and two crimson stripes, alternating in the centre. " A bar will be awarded for further acts of bravery to non-commissioned officers and men, who have already won the medal." SERVI "* MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 233 A supf ! ementaiy announcement was issued at the Court o ; : \ James's in June of the same year, stating that " Whereas We did by Royal Warrant institute and create a silver medal entitled ' The Military Medal ' to be awarded to non-commissioned officers and men for bravery in the field ; " And Whereas we are desirous that, under special circumstances, women shall be eligible for the award of the said medal ; "It is Our Will and Pleasure and We do hereby ordain that ' The Military Medal ' may, under excep- tional circumstances, on the special recommendation of a Commander-in-Chief in the Field, be awarded to women, whether subjects or foreign persons, who have shown bravery and devotion under fire." The bars are fashioned in silver, and bear a hori- zontal spray of leaves. Rosettes, when fixed to the ribbon, indicate the possession of bars, as mentioned previously. The clasp is of the curved scroll type. We have seen an occasional specimen of the Military medal offered for sale at prices averaging twenty-five shillings. The Meritorious Service Medal was the first of our existing awards to be given for a display of merit, being instituted by Queen Victoria in 1845 for the Army and in 1849 f r the Royal Marines. " We deem it expedient," said the original warrant, " to afford a greater encouragement to the non-com- missioned officers and soldiers of Our Army who may have distinguished themselves, or who may have given good, faithful and efficient service. 234 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR " It is our further will and pleasure that a sum not exceeding 2000 (altered to 4000 after 1853 for the Army and 400 for the Admiralty) a year be distributed for the purpose of granting annuities as rewards for distinguished or meritorious service to sergeants who are now, or who may be hereafter in the Service, either while serving or after discharge with or without pension, in sums not exceeding 20 which may be held during service, and together with pension." The medal fell into abeyance during or after the Crimean War, but was reinstated in 1884 and revived during the recent hostilities. It is available for warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men who render valuable and meritorious service, not necessarily within range of the enemy's guns. A recent warrant states that " individuals who are awarded the M.S.M. are not thereby to be entitled to receive a gratuity or annuity. If, however, they are above the rank of corporal, their names may be regis- tered for consideration for an annuity." Recently, the Meritorious Service medal has been thrown open to the lower ranks of the Navy and the Royal Air Force. The medal may be described as follows : Obverse. The Victorian pattern bears Wyon's effigy of Queen Victoria, whilst more recent strikings have the King's profile. The Army pattern shows His Majesty in field-marshal's dress, the Navy in naval attire, whilst the Air Force bears a truncated bust, as on the coinage. Reverse. A circular wreath with an imperial crown at the apex. Within these is the inscription, For Meritorious Service. SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 235 Clasp. The curved scroll pattern. Ribbon. Formerly crimson tor the Army, then crimson with white edges, but now a narrow edging of white and a narrow central stripe of the same colour upon a crimson ribbon. For the Royal Marines, a whole coloured deep blue was first used but, recently, this has been changed to the latest Army pattern. The Navy, since its admission to the award, has used the crimson ribbon with three white stripes. The Royal Air Force has a ribbon with narrow white edges, a white central stripe, a band of deep blue between the left edge and the centre, and a band of crimson between the centre and the right edge. Metal. Silver. Bars. These are available but only five had been awarded to the end of 1919. Sale Prices. Victorian specimens sell for thirty shillings to four guineas. The Distinguished Flying Cross, with the three silver awards which follow, owes its origin to the admirable work performed by the Royal Flying Corps during the Great War. As the deeds of the airmen proved to be of so exceptional a character, the decora- tions given to the other services were considered to be insufficiently appropriate, and special flying awards followed as a natural course. They were all instituted on the King's birthday in 1918. The D.F.C. is available for officers and warrant officers who perform acts of gallantry when flying in active operations against the enemy. The Cross is an ornate and beautiful piece of work- manship. There are four slender limbs with rounded 236 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 21 A Figs, i and 2. Obverse and Reverse of the Military Medal. Fig. i. The Distinguished Flying Cross. Fig. 2. The Air Force Cross. IM.ATK XXI SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 237 ends ; the two horizontal ones are formed of two outspread wings which emerge from a central circle bearing a Tudor rose and the initials, R.A.F. Above these is an imperial crown. A chain attachment fixes the cross to a straight clasp, which is supported by two sprays of palm leaves. The decoration is indeed a work of art, but is more reminiscent of a jewel-pendant than a trophy for the brave, a matter which might have been obviated had some suitable and unique inscription been incorporated in the design, in some such way as is the case with the Victoria Cross. The ribbon consists of wide diagonal stripes of white and violet, an unusual arrangement for British awards.* The Distinguished Flying Medal is awarded to non- commissioned officers and men who perform acts of gallantry when flying in active operations against the enemy. The award consists of an oval medallion showing the winged figure of Athene Nike, seated upon an aeroplane. She holds a hawk which is about to be released. The words, For Courage, appear and the * The Air Ministry has issued the following particulars regarding the ribbons of the air awards : D.F.C. i J inches in width, violet and white in alternate diagonal stripes, each | of an inch in width, running at an angle of 45 degrees. A.F.C. As above, but red replacing the violet. D.F.M. As for the D.F.C., but the width of the stripes is ^ of an inch. A.F.M. As for the A.F.C., but the width of the stripes is ^ of an inch. The D.F.C. and A.F.C. ribbon will show at the top corner nearest to the left arm, and at the bottom corner nearest to the centre of the tunic, triangles of equal dimen- sions of violet or red, as the case may be. The D.F.M. and A.F.M. ribbon will show at the top corner nearest to the left arm a triangle of white, and at the bottom corner, nearest to the centre of the tunic, a triangle of equal dimensions of violet or red, as the case may be. 238 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR edge of the piece is beaded. The suspension clasp is fashioned in the shape of two outspread wings. The ribbon is white and violet in narrow diagonal stripes. The Air Force Cross was also inaugurated on the King's birthday, in 1918. It is awarded to officers, warrant officers and civilians for acts of courage and devotion to duty when flying, although not in active operations against the enemy. The Cross, as in the case of the D.F.C., is a highly artistic creation. Three of the limbs terminate in points, the fourth and upper one being provided with an imperial crown. The initials, G. R. L V. appear one on each limb of the cross. A central medallion shows an undraped figure of Hermes riding on the body of a hawk. The figure holds, with outstretched hand, a circular wreath. The clasp is similar to that of the D.F.C., whilst the ribbon is white and purple-red in wide diagonal stripes. It is of interest to mention that Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve were given this cross for their daring attempt to fly the Atlantic. Although a number of awards had been gazetted prior to theirs, they were the first actual recipients. The Air Force Medal follows the particulars men- tioned for the Air Force Cross, but is awarded to The Distinguished Medal. Flying The Air Force Medal. SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 239 non-commissioned officers and men who perform acts of courage and devotion to duty when flying, although not in active operations against the enemy. The piece consists of an oval, struck in silver. The design is that of Hermes and the hawk, as mentioned for the previous medal. The edge is beaded, and the clasp consists of a pair of outspread wings. The ribbon is white and purple-red, in nar- row diagonal stripes. Bars are available for the above quartette of flying awards. The Royal Red Cross is a decoration for women which, in its first class, ranks approximately with the Distinguished Service Order for men. It was instituted in April, 1883, by the following royal warrant : " VICTORIA R. " Whereas We have been pleased to take into Our consideration the services rendered by certain persons in nursing the sick and wounded of Our Army and Navy and have resolved specially to recognise individual instances of special devotion in such services : now for the purpose of attaining this end, We have instituted, constituted and created, and by these presents for Us, Our heirs and successors do institute, constitute and create a decoration to be designated and hereafter prescribed : and We are pleased to make, ordain and establish the following rules and ordinances for the 240 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR government of the same, which shall from henceforth be inviolably observed and kept : " First. The decoration shall be styled and designated The Royal Red Cross and shall consist of a cross, enamelled crimson edged with gold, having on the arms thereof the words Faith, Hope, Charity, with the date of the institution of the decoration ; the centre having thereon Our Effigy. " On the reverse side Our Royal and Imperial Cipher and Crown shall be shown in relief on the centre. " Secondly. The cross shall be attached to a dark blue riband edged with red, of one inch in width, tied in a bow and worn on the left shoulder. " Thirdly. The decoration may be worn by the Queen Regnant, the Queen Consort or the Queen Dowager of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland : and it shall be competent for Us, Our heirs and successors to confer the decoration upon any of the Princesses of the Royal Family. " Fourthly. It shall be competent for Us, Our heirs and successors, to confer the decoration upon any ladies, whether subjects or foreign persons, who may be recommended to Our notice by Our Secretary of State for War for special exertions in providing for the nursing of sick and wounded soldiers and sailors of our army and navy. " Fifthly. It shall be competent for Us, Our heirs and successors, to confer this decoration upon any nursing sisters, or other persons engaged in nursing duties whether subjects or foreign persons who may be recommended to Our notice by Our Secretary of State for War, or, as the case may be, by the First Lord of the Admiralty through Our said Secretary of State, SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 241 for special devotion and competency which they may have displayed in their nursing duties with Our army in the field, or in Our naval and military hospitals. " Lastly. In order to make such additional pro- vision as shall effectually preserve pure this honorable distinction, it is ordained that if any person on whom such distinction shall be conferred shall by her conduct become unworthy of it her name shall be erased by an order under Our sign manual, from the register of those upon whom the said decoration shall have been conferred. " And it is hereby declared that We, Our heirs and successors, shall be the sole judge of the conduct which may require the erasure from the register of the name of the offending person, and that it shall at all tunes be competent for Us, Our heirs and successors to restore the name if such restoration should be justified by the circumstances of the case." During the reign of King George a supplementary warrant was issued stating that a second class of the Royal Red Cross had been sanctioned. The badge in this case is dull silver instead of gold ; the obverse bears in the centre the royal bust whilst this space, on the reverse, is filled by the royal cypher and crown. The Albert Medal. This decoration is held in high esteem as, in a measure, it is an alternative award to the Victoria Cross. Where deeds of exceptional gal- lantry are performed but not in the presence of the enemy, the Victoria Cross cannot be given, and it is the Albert medal which is bestowed in its place. The medal was instituted on March 3, 1866, and is named after Prince Consort. Its object is to acknow- ledge the bravery of those who endanger their own lives Q 242 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR in attempting or effecting the rescue of others ; it is offered to civilians as well as to service men, though the latter have been the greatest participants in late years. Originally, it was confined to heroic deeds performed in connection with shipwrecks, and there were then two classes, first and second. In 1877, two further classes were added for bravery displayed on land, the amended warrant specifically mentioning accidents in mines, on railways or at fires, but other perilous feats were not debarred. To-day there are other and more appropriate decorations for gallantry at fires or in mines, and the Albert medal is seldom given now for such cases of merit. As at present constituted, the medal is awarded in four classes, known as (i) the Albert medal in Gold, and (2) the Albert medal ; but each of these is sub- divided for gallantry at sea and on land. The Albert medal in gold for sea service is an oval badge fashioned, as its name implies, in gold, but parts are enamelled in blue. An oval garter is inscribed, For Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea. Within the garter are the initials V. and A., intertwined with an anchor. The uppermost part of the decoration bears an imperial crown, fixed to a metal loop through which the sus- pension ring passes. The ribbon is blue and white in nine equal stripes ; five stripes are blue and four are white. The Albert medal in Gold for land service is similar to the above, but crimson enamel is used in place of the blue, the anchor is omitted, the inscription is For Gallantry in Saving Life on Land, and the blue is replaced by brownish crimson stripes in the ribbon. SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 243 The Albert medal for sea service is fashioned entirely of lacquered bronze, but the badge is otherwise the same as that of the gold piece for sea service. The ribbon is white with three wide bars of blue. The Albert medal for land service is of lacquered bronze, but otherwise follows the pattern of the gold piece for land service. The ribbon is white with three wide bars of brownish crimson. Bars are available for all four pieces. Specimens of the Albert medal of whichever class are rare, and the gold decorations are, of course, valuable. A gold medal has sold for over 70. Overseas Distinguished Conduct Medals. Certain of the colonies have obtained sanction from the reign- ing sovereign to award medals of their own striking for distinguished conduct displayed by men in their local navy or army. The need for such awards appears to be of a limited character as, when members of the colonial forces have performed distinguished service in international wars, they have been rewarded by pieces struck in London. Such medals generally follow the pattern of the corresponding home award, but the name of the particular colony is given on the reverse. The ribbons vary with each colony. The New Zealand Cross. This decoration is occa- sionally met, but it is rare, and sells for about twenty guineas. Its history is somewhat curious. On March i, 1869, the Governor of New Zealand decided to issue this decoration as a reward for dis- tinguished conduct displayed by members of the local militia, volunteer force, and constabulary. He com- municated his intention to the Secretary of State in 244 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR London, observing, at the same time, that he was acting on his own initiative as it was impossible to refer the matter home without incurring a great waste of time. He added that the Secretary must not think any insult was intended to Queen Victoria. Earl Granville, the Secretary of State, wrote from Downing Street that the Governor had " overstepped the limits of his authority, but the Queen was ready to sanction this medal and the regulations governing it, but such an incident must not arise in the future." The cross is shaped similarly to that of the Victoria Cross, but is made of silver. A star appears on each limb, whilst in the centre are the words New Zealand, surrounded by a gilt laurel wreath. A crown is placed above the uppermost limb, and the suspender bears a V-shaped link. The ribbon is of the same colour as that from which the V.C. depends. The name of the recipient appears on the reverse face. The Hong-Kong Plague Medal. In 1894 a severe epidemic of the plague broke out in Hong-Kong, and many officers, men and nursing sisters, stationed in the island, assisted in putting down the scourge. Later, the community decided to present a medal to all who had risked their lives whilst performing this unpleasant task. The observe gives a rather gruesome rendering of a man and woman bending over an invalid. The man is pushing away a flying figure of Death, who is en- deavouring, unsuccessfully, to reach the sick patient. In the exergue is a scroll with the date, 1894. The reverse is inscribed For Services Rendered During the Plague of 1894, within a circular band, SERVICE MEDALS FOR BRAVERY, ETC. 245 whilst, around the band, we read, Presented by the Hong-Kong Community. The metal used is silver for the rank and file, but he Distinguished Service Cross. The Albert Medal (sea). The Royal Red Cross (ist class). gold for the commissioned officers. A ring joins the ribbon to the medal. The ribbon is a golden-orange with two narrow and one wide stripe of red. This medal may not be worn when in uniform. COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS UNDER this head, we deal with an interesting but small group of pieces which, in the main, commemorate the two jubilees of Queen Victoria and the coronations of King Edward and King George. It is perhaps necessary to point out that, in all cases, the awards have gone largely to members of the Navy and Army who wear the decoration when in uniform, but civilians, too, have received these honours. It is impossible to give even an approximate idea of the value of the various items, as the primary consideration is the status of the original recipient. Victorian Jubilee Medal. Obverse. A crowned and draped profile of Her Majesty, as appears on the Jubilee silver coinage; with the inscription, Victoria D. G. Regina ei Imperatrix F.D. Reverse. A union wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks enclosing an imperial crown and the legend, In Commemoration of the $oth Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria, 21 June, 1887. Ribbon. White with an edging of medium blue and a wide central stripe of the same colour. Suspender. A circular ring. Metals. Gold, silver and bronze. Size. Slightly smaller than the Campaign pieces. Victorian Diamond Jubilee Medal. This medal is 246 COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS 247 the same as the previous, but the inscription runs 6oth instead of 5oth. Bars dated 1897 were given to recipients of the Jubilee award in certain cases. Edwardian Coronation Medal. Obverse. The jugate busts of King Edward and Queen Alexandra, facing right, within a circular wreath forming the edge of the medal. Reverse. An imperial crown above the royal cypher and date, July 26, 1902, all within a beaded circle. Ribbon. Blue with white edges and a central stripe of red. Suspender. A crown and circular ring. Metals. Silver and bronze. Edwardian Delhi Durbar Medal. Obverse. A pro- file of King Edward and the words Edward VII., Delhi Durbar, 1903. Reverse. An inscription in Hindustani. Ribbon. A bluish white ribbon with a narrow stripe of deep blue at either edge and a similar central stripe. Suspender. A circular ring. Metals. Gold, silver and bronze. Edwardian Medal for Visit to Ireland. Obverse. A profile of King Edward and the inscription, Edwardus VII. Rex Imperator. Reverse. Hibernia, as a female figure representing Ireland, and the Royal yacht at Kingstown. Also, a rose, harp, and shamrock, and the date 1903. Ribbon. A plain pale blue. Suspender. A circular ring. Metals. Silver and bronze. Georgian Coronation Medal. Obverse. The jugate busts of King George and Queen Mary, both crowned and facing left. 248 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Reverse. An imperial crown above the royal cypher and date, 22 June, 1911, all within a beaded circle. Ribbon. A shade of garter blue with two narrow central stripes of crimson. Suspender. A circular ring. Metals. Silver. Victorian Jubilee Police Medal. Obverse. The veiled head of Queen Victoria, as appears on the Egypt medal of 1882, with the words Victoria Regina. Reverse. An oak wreath and crown encircling the inscription, Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Outside the wreath, the words, Metropolitan Police (or City of London Police) and 1887. Ribbon. A plain deep blue. Clasp. A straight bar. Metals. Silver and gilt bronze. Size. As for the Campaign medals. Victorian Diamond Jubilee Police Medal. As for the Queen's Jubilee but with the date 1897 instead of 1887. The word Jubilee is not altered to Diamond Jubilee. Recipients of the earlier medal were not given the later piece, but a bar with the date 1897. Edwardian Coronation Police Medal. Obverse. A crowned and robed effigy of King Edward, facing left, and the words, Edwardus VII., Rex Imperator. Reverse. The inscription, Coronation of His Majesty King Edward VII., 1902, above a crown reposing on sprays of oak and palm. In a circle, the inscription, Metropolitan Police (or City of London Police). Ribbon. Red with a narrow central stripe of blue. Clasp. A straight bar. Metals. Silver and gilt-bronze. Size. As for the Campaign medals. ORDER OF LEOPOLD. BELGIUM. ORDER OF LEOPOX.D II. BELGIUM. CROIX DE GUERRE. BELGIUM. MEDAL OF LA REINE ELISABETH. BELGIUM. ORDER OF NILE, EGYPT. I M.EDAILLE MILITAIRE. FRANCE. ORDER OF ST. MAURICE AND ST. LAZARUS. ITALY. IRON CROSS. (MILITARY) PRUSSIA. ORDER OF ST. GEORGE. RUSSIA. ORDER OF ST. SAVA. SERBIA. LEGION OF HONOUR. FRANCE. ORDER OF RISING SUN. JAPAN. ORDER OF ST. STANISLAS. RUSSIA ORDER OF WHITE EAGLE. SERBIA. RIBBONS OF FOREIGN ORDERS, ETC. COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS 249 Georgian Coronation Police Medal. Obverse. A crowned and robed effigy of King George, facing left, and the words, Georgius V., Rex et Ind. Imp. Reverse. An imperial crown within an ornamental circle, all within a larger circle inscribed, Metropolitan Police (or City of London Police] and Coronation, 1911. Ribbon. Red with three stripes of blue, none of which touch the edge. Suspender. An oval ring. Metals. Silver. Edwardian Coronation Metropolitan Fire Brigade Medal. As the Edwardian Coronation Police medal but with a suitable inscription. Georgian Coronation Metropolitan Fire Brigade Medal. As the Georgian Coronation Police medal but with a suitable inscription. Edwardian Coronation Ambulance Brigade Medal. As the Edwardian Coronation Police medal, but with the inscription, St. John's Ambulance Brigade. Georgian Coronation Ambulance Brigade Medal. As the Georgian Coronation Police medal but with the inscription St. John's Ambulance Brigade. Union of S. Africa Commemoration Medal. This medal was awarded to those who took part in the ceremonies connected with the Union of South Africa in 1910. Obverse. An effigy of the King with the usual inscription. Reverse. A workman forging a chain, to represent the various links of the Union. Ribbon. This is slightly wider than usual, and is yellow with a wide central stripe of dark blue. Suspender. A circular ring. Metal. Silver. CHAPTER XIII MEDALS FOR LONG SERVICE, GOOD CONDUCT, ETC. TO the collector of modest means who wishes to specialise, this group of Long Service and Good Conduct medals may be recommended, since it is possible to obtain a representative set of the pieces at no great outlay. The group lacks but little in point of interest ; especially is this the case if the corresponding Volunteer, Territorial, Yeomanry and Militia awards be added to those of the regular Navy and Army. The Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal may be mentioned first, as it was the earliest award of this nature to appear. It was instituted in deference to the personal wishes of William IV., who desired that every soldier on completing either twenty-one years in the infantry or twenty years in the cavalry, with irreproachable character, should be given a suitable decoration. The original warrant is dated July 30, 1830, but many amendments have been issued since. To-day, eighteen years' service is requisite nine for European soldiers on the West Coast of Africa but the following " are absolutely ineligible for the good conduct medal and must not be recommended." 250 MEDALS FOR LONG SERVICE, ETC. 251 (i) A soldier who has been convicted for felony, or any other offence of a disgraceful character. (ii.) A soldier who during the last sixteen of the eighteen years of his service (a) Has incurred more than six entries in the regimental conduct sheet ; or (6) Has been guilty of desertion or fraudulent en- listment ; or (c) Has been convicted by a G.C.M. or D.C.M. ; or (d) Has been drunk on duty, or after being warned for duty ; or has been drunk while actually engaged on garrison or regimental employment ; or (e) Has, as a N.C.O., been reduced under the Royal Prerogative or under Section 183 of the Army Act for an offence, but not for inefficiency. With each reign, the medal has varied in pattern, but in all cases the reverse has borne the inscription, For Long Service and Good Conduct, printed in horizontal lines. Type I. The pieces issued during William's reign bore on the obverse a trophy of arms surrounding the royal escutcheon, which it is well to note included the device of Hanover. This was the work of Pistrucci, and is the same design as was mentioned on page 232, hi connection with the early copies of the D.C.M. The clasp was a plain steel bar. Type //.The Victorian pattern followed that described for William IV., but the Hanoverian arms were removed from the central shield. From 1837 to 1850 (circa), a plain steel clasp, as Type I., was used, but from 1850 onwards a silver clasp replaced it. Thus there are early and late patterns of the Victorian award. 252 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Type III. The Edwardian issue appeared with the design of Pistrucci replaced by a profile of King Edward, wearing the dress of a field-marshal. The silver scroll clasp was retained. Type IV. The Georgian issue differed only from Type III. in that King George's features replaced those of his father. For many years the Army Long Service ribbon was a plain deep crimson, but during the Great War became deep crimson with white edges. The alteration was made in order to put an end to the confusion which existed between this ribboii and that of the Victoria Cross. The value of the Army Long Service medals varies a great deal. Type I. may be purchased for about 2. Type II. is not dear at half this sum if it be provided with the steel clasp, but, when given a silver scroll clasp, five shillings is a fair price, though in this case much depends on age and the particulars of the recipient. Type III. costs about five or six shillings, whilst the Georgian type is as yet less common. Colonial Army Long Service Medals. In this group there is a fair array of interesting matter, but pieces are not found in the British Isles with any frequency. As a rule, the design of the colonial awards follows that used by the home country, but in every case the designation of the colony is added. It should perhaps be mentioned that these pieces are only given to the local units and not to members of British forces who may happen to complete their term of long and efficient service in an overseas possession. The ribbons of the colonial long service medals are usually deep crimson with a stripe of a distinguishing colour running down the centre. MEDALS FOR LONG SERVICE, ETC. 253 That for the Australian Commonwealth is a deep green ; for Canada, it is white ; for the Cape, yellow ; for New Zealand, light green ; and for the West African Frontier Force, a wide stripe of green. The Permanent Overseas Forces, however, use a crimson ribbon having three central stripes, white, blue-black and white. The Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was first instituted a year after the corresponding Army medal received sanction. Twenty-one years of ex- emplary service were required by the original warrant, but fifteen years qualify at the present time. The earliest Navy award is a rather insignificant piece. The obverse gives an anchor with a crown above and a spray of oak on either side. The reverse has a circular band inscribed, For Long Service and Good Conduct. Within the circle are engraved the par- ticulars of the award. The mounting consists of a small ring instead of a clasp, and the piece was ordered to be worn on the left breast, at the third button of the jacket. The ribbon is narrower than usual, and is a whole colour blue. During the reign of Queen Victoria, but not for some years after her coronation, a new pattern was intro- duced. In this case, the Wyon profile of Her Majesty figures on the obverse whilst a majestic wooden battle- ship is seen on the reverse. A knotted cable runs around the vessel, and the circular band so formed is inscribed, For Long Service, and Good Conduct. A straight silver clasp carries the ribbon, which is deep blue with white edges. There are minor varieties of this piece. The Edwardian and Georgian Navy Long Service awards are similar to that described for Queen 254 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Victoria, with the necessary change of profile and wording. The earliest pattern of William's reign is not often seen, as few copies were issued. It may be bought, how- ever, for two or three pounds. The Victorian type com- mands a few shillings, say 55. to 75. 6d., except when the date, 1848, is given below the profile. It is then rare. The Edwardian and Georgian issues are only worth 6s. 6d. Ability and Good Conduct Medal. In 1842, a cir- cular medal bearing this title was issued for distribution to engineers of the Royal Navy, but was speedily with- drawn when engineers were raised to the rank of warrant officers. Only six pieces were struck and four, alone, were awarded. The piece is thus ex- tremely rare, but copies are to be seen in certain public collections. The obverse displays a paddle steamship and a trident figures in the exergue. The reverse is filled by a crowned anchor and the words, For Ability and Good Conduct. Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. This silver award is circular, and gives on the obverse the King's profile and the usual inscription. The reverse presents an imperial crown and an eagle sur- rounded by the words, For Long Service and Good Conduct. The ribbon is a combination of the Navy and Army patterns, being half blue and half crimson with narrow edges of white. Volunteer Officers' Decoration. This award was given between the year 1892 and the date of the dis- establishment of the Force to officers who performed twenty years' efficient and capable service. It figured MEDALS FOR LONG SERVICE, ETC. 255 as an oval medallion consisting of the royal cypher and crown enclosed in an oval wreath of silver oak leaves bound in four places by gold bands. A circular ring gathered in the plain green ribbon. The Volunteer Long Service Medal was awarded between the year 1894 and the date of the disestablish- ment of the Force to men who served for twenty years. The medal is circular, and gives the royal profile on the obverse, and, on the reverse, two sprays of laurel and an intertwined ribbon inscribed, For Long Service in the Volunteer Force. The clasp is plain and straight, whilst the ribbon is green, except for the Honourable Artillery Company, when it is deep blue and scarlet with a narrow yellow edging. Specimens are worth from five to ten shillings. Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration. This award is given on completion of twenty years' service, except in places where the climate is unhealthy, when each year counts as two. It consists of an oval medallion charged with the royal cypher. An oval band runs around this, bearing the inscription, Colonial Auxiliary Forces. An imperial crown surmounts the piece, and to its apex is fixed a straight slot clasp, threaded with a plain green ribbon. The Militia Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was instituted in 1904 by King Edward, and was awarded to men who had completed eighteen years' service and performed fifteen annual trainings. The award is a silver oval bearing on the front face the royal profile and, on the reverse, the words, Militia, For Long Service and Good Conduct, in plain lettering. A loop takes the place of the clasp, and the ribbon is a light blue. 256 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 23 Figs, i and 2. Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Obverse and Reverse. Fig. 3. The Transport Medal. Reverse. Fig. 4. The Volunteer Long Service Medal. Reverse. Figs. 5 and 6. The Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Obverse and Reverse. Figs. 7 and 8. The Territorial Force Efficiency Medal. Obverse and Reverse. PLATE XXIII MEDALS FOR LONG SERVICE, ETC. 257 The Imperial Yeomanry Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. This medal, now superseded by the Territorial medal, was given for ten years' service. It is exactly similar to the Militia award, just described, except that the reverse bears the inscription, Imperial Yeomanry, For Long Service and Good Conduct. The ribbon is yellow. The Territorial Decoration is an award for officers, replacing the old Volunteer Decoration. In design, the two are practically the same, except that while the Volunteer Decoration is found with the cyphers of Queen Victoria and King Edward, the Territorial Decoration bears those of King Edward and King George. The ribbon is green with a central stripe of yellow. The Territorial Efficiency Medal is given to men after twelve years' service and an equal number of trainings- The piece is oval, and similar to that mentioned for the Militia, except that the wording on the reverse is Territorial Force Efficiency Medal. The ribbon was green with a central stripe of yellow, but was changed, in the early part of 1920, to green with yellow edges and no central stripe. The Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is also oval and identical to the Militia award, but with an appropriate inscription on the reverse. The ribbon is dark blue, almost black, with a central stripe of light blue. The Royal Naval Reserve Officers' Decoration. Officers in the R.N.R. who perform fifteen years' efficient service are given the following dicoration : An oval medallion consisting of the royal cypher with a crown above, all surrounded by a length of cable R 258 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR formed into the shape of an oval. The piece is gilt. A small circular ring holds a ribbon of plain green. The Royal Naval Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is awarded to men who perform fifteen years' satisfactory service. It consists of a circular silver piece having on the obverse a profile of the reign- ing sovereign in naval dress and, on the reverse, a man-o'-war and the words, Diuturne Fidelis. A straight silver bar fixes the plain green ribbon. The piece is worth seven shillings and upwards. The Hon. East India Co.'s Meritorious Service Medal was instituted in 1848. It had a short life, but during the time of its existence found much favour among the native troops. The front gives Wyon's head of Queen Victoria and the back the arms of the company within a circular band inscribed, For Meritorious Service. The clasp is of the familiar scroll pattern, and the ribbon is crimson. The Naval Good Shooting Medal dates from the year 1903, and is given to seamen who prove particularly fine marksmen at the annual target practices. The royal profile fills the obverse, whilst an undraped figure of Neptune appears on the reverse. He rides in a sea chariot drawn by three horses and scatters thunder- bolts during his progress. Amat Victoria Cur am is written around the piece. Bars are available for those who earn them, and these are inscribed with the name of the vessel on which the recipient serves. The clasp is straight, and the ribbon is blue, white, red, blue, and white. (It is easily mistaken for the Military Medal ribbon.) The Army " Best Shot " Medal was awarded to less than twenty recipients, and is accordingly of MEDALS FOR LONG SERVICE, ETC. 259 considerable rarity. It was given annually to the " Best Shot " in the Army from 1867 to 1883. (Two medals were awarded in the years 1875-6 and 1876-7, one for the " Best Shot " using the Martini-Henry, and one for the " Best Shot " using the Snider rifle.) The Queen's profile figures on the upperface of the medal, and Fame crowning a kneeling warrior fills the underface. Bronze pieces were issued between 1867 and 1872 and silver pieces afterwards. The ribbon is black, white, black, red, black, white, and black. New Zealand Territorial Service Medal. This is an award for members of the New Zealand Territorial Force who serve for twelve consecutive years. It is not given, however, to members who possess the New Zealand Long and Efficient Service medal or a similar medal awarded by the Home Authorities. The obverse bears a profile of His Majesty, facing left, surrounded by the inscription, New Zealand Territorial 12 Years' Service. The reverse is filled by a representation of the national bird, the kiwi, framed by two sprays of foliage. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern, often mentioned for the home campaign awards. The ribbon was formerly khaki, but is now khaki with crimson edges. New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal. In this case the award is given for sixteen years of con- tinuous service or twenty years where the service has not been continuous, in the New Zealand Territorial Force. The obverse shows a crown, resting on a sceptre and sword, all within a circle of oak and laurel leaves. A star surmounts the crown. 260 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR The reverse is inscribed, For Long and Efficient Service. A star is placed both above and below the lettering. Volunteer and Terri- torial Officers' De- coration. Royal Naval Reserve Colonial Auxiliary Officers' Decora- Forces, Officers' tion Decoration. A ring serves instead of a clasp for attachment. The ribbon is crimson with two narrow stripes of white placed near the centre. CHAPTER XIV REGIMENTAL MEDALS OFFICIAL medals for military efficiency in times of peace have only been granted with regu- larity during the last ninety years. Prior to this, cases arose where the King bestowed special decorations on his favoured leaders, but such awards were few in number, and for general collecting purposes may be ignored. Towards the middle of the eighteenth century a custom sprang up whereby the patrons of various regiments instituted medals, at their own expense, for long service, good conduct, fine shooting, etc. Such medals were not officially awarded as they did not emanate from the War Office, but were of a private nature. Nevertheless, the higher authority recognised them inasmuch as the recipients were permitted to wear their decorations when in uniform. Some regimental leaders bestowed these awards more lavishly than others, but we have never heard any suggestion that grants were made with too great a frequency. Certainly those who won these decorations were proud above all others, and cases are recorded whe^e winners of regimental medals were paraded by themselves on inspection days, and duly complimented. When Napoleon threatened to invade England 261 262 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR some hundreds of volunteer corps were formed in the three Kingdoms, much as they were during the black days of 1914-18. Most of these corps followed the lead of the regular regiments and instituted proficiency medals for competition amongst their own members. In a number of cases the only tangible knowledge that we have of a corp's existence is supplied by the private decorations which it has left behind a fact which reveals the collector in the light of a trustee of national history. The Regimental or Volunteer decorations of this era are much prized to-day, and high prices are in- variably paid for them when put up for auction. The pieces, as a class, may be described as the greatest favourites in the sale-room, and it is seldom that a specimen falls to a purchaser for less than ten pounds. The shapes and designs used for these medals were legion, and it is only possible to give general hints respecting them. As a rule, they were circular, and about the size of a five-shilling piece. Ovals appear at times, but fanciful irregular shapes were not uncommon. The circular and oval awards were often flat pieces of metal with all the design and lettering engraved by hand. A good many were cast and then chased by hand. In such cases, the medals were often thick, in high relief, and bordering on the clumsy. Silver seems to have been the metal most favoured, but bronze, copper and brass were by no means unusual. Engraved specimens are often found in silver, whilst the specimens cast in high-relief are, as a rule, in the darker metals. The designs are altogether beyond classification, but a favourite theme of the artists was the regimental or corps badge, elaborated in some REGIMENTAL MEDALS 263 fanciful way. When the crest did not figure on the obverse we frequently find that a soldier, or perhaps two soldiers, in regimental dress served to fill the space. Where two appeared, one kneeled and the other stood behind him. These little pictures are particularly interesting, as many of the medals were engraved in sufficient detail to give an accurate rendering of the uniform of the regiment. Awards for good shooting often bore a miniature target, and we have seen examples where the rings around the " bull " were let in hi ivory. The ribbon attached to these pieces was more often than not in the shape of a bow, though the suspender form, common to-day, was used at times. In a few cases, the decoration consisted of a vertical strip of ribbon having a silver plate at the top bearing the name of the regiment, whilst at the bottom end figured the regimental badge or a bar. These are perhaps the rarest forms of unofficial awards. Sale Prices. The following list of auction prices will give the reader some idea of the average value of these private medals. The regiments named are now, in many cases, extinct, a fact which adds in some little measure to the interest of the pieces : Silver medal awarded by the Carlisle Local Regiment for the best shot, 1812. 7 155. Medal for merit awarded to a private in the Cardiff Volunteers, 1804. 16 55. Silver medal for merit awarded by the Oxford Loyal Volunteers. Finely engraved, 1798. 9 55. Silver medal awarded by the 45th Notts Regiment, 1803. 6 55. Oval silver medal of the Guisborough Company, E.R.Y. Volunteers, 1780. 7. 264 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Medal awarded by the Olney Troop of Cavalry, ^797- 7 I5s. Oval medal of the 3rd King's Own Dragoons. 8. Medal awarded by the Plymouth Independent Rangers, 1799. 10. Gold medal of the Oozel Gallery Volunteers (Ireland). 10. Oval engraved medal awarded by the 2ist Royal North British Fusiliers, 1817. 12. Medal for merit awarded by the Cardiff Volunteers, 1804. 16 55. It may be of service to add that some very fine medals belonging to this class may be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum. CHAPTER XV CIVIL MEDALS THE collector of medals may well ask himself whether or not he ought to limit his energies to pieces awarded to the three fighting services, for as he will quickly learn, there are hosts of other decorations, many of which, from his point of view, fill no serious purpose. Personally, we feel that the majority of civil medals are not suitable material for the collector, though we wish in no way to belittle the mission for which they are struck. However, there are a few select pieces which are of considerable interest and, we might add, of high merit, and these are well worth the attentions of the general collector. It is impossible to give a list of all the items that may be classed among the desirable specimens ; but those detailed below are typical of many others worth searching for. The collectable value of all these pieces varies considerably, and no idea of their worth can be given. The condition of the faces of a medal, the reason for its award, the fame of the recipient, and the eagerness of the possessor to sell are, however, the chief factors which influence the cost. The Royal Humane Society's Medals. This well- known and much esteemed society issues two regular 265 266 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR medals, one in silver, the other in bronze, but both of the same pattern. The silver piece is given for gallantly rescuing people who are in imminent danger of drowning, who are brought to safety when exposed on dangerous cliffs, who are snatched from death when overcome by asphyxia, or when entombed by a fall of the roof in mines, etc. Unsuccessful attempts in effecting a rescue are also considered, but in every instance the circumstances must inflict great risks on the would-be salvors. The VIT. 1C. EXPO JXD. SOC. BEG. HVM. The Royal Humane Society's Medals. bronze piece is issued where the risks are less, but where the case still shows courage and promptitude. It is worth mentioning that both these awards may be worn by members of the Navy, Army and Air Force when in uniform, but they must be pinned to the tunic on the right breast. CIVIL MEDALS 267 The Royal Humane Society's medals were at first of a size considerably larger than ordinary war decora- tions ; but in 1869 (circa) they were reduced to the same dimensions. Concerning their pattern, the Society has given us the following information : " Flame having been used both by the Ancients and Moderns as the emblem of life, and its extinction as the symbol of death, the front of the medal represents a boy blowing an extinguished torch, in the hope, as expressed by the motto, Lateat Scintillula Forsan. (Peradventure a little spark may yet lie hid.) This design appears applicable both to the person apparently dead, and to the one who endeavours to resuscitate him. Under the device is the following inscription, abbreviated : Societas Londini in Resuscitationem In- termortuorum Instituta, MDCCLXXIV. (The Society, established in London for the recovery of persons in a state of suspended animation, 1774.) " The reverse of the medal exhibits a civic wreath, which was the Roman reward for saving life : the inscription round it expresses the merit which obtains this honour from the Society. Hoc. Pretium Give Servato Tulit. (He has obtained this reward for having saved the life of a citizen.) Within the wreath is the following inscription, also abbreviated, Vitam ob Servatam Dono Dedit Societas Regia Homana. (The Royal Humane Society presented this gift for saving life.) " There is a second reverse to the Society's medal ; it bears the civic wreath and the legend, Vita Periculo exposita Dono Dedit Societas Regia Humana. (The Royal Humane Society presented this to , his life having been exposed to danger.) This pattern is used 268 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR in cases where a gallant attempt at saving life has been made, but where success did not attend the endeavour. The above pieces are suspended from a scroll clasp of the same pattern as has been used so frequently for the campaign medals. The ribbon is deep blue, and bars are available for a second or subsequent act of sufficient merit. The Stanhope Medal. This medal, struck in gold, is awarded annually by the General Court of the Royal Humane Society to the recipient who, during the previous year, having gained one of the silver awards described above, is considered to have performed the most gallant service. The gold piece thus supersedes the silver medal in the case of the most daring recipient. The Stanhope award was instituted in 1873, and took its name from the late Captain Chandos Scudamore Stanhope. At a committee meeting of the Royal Humane Society, held on February 18, 1873, a letter was read from the honorary treasurer of the " Stanhope Memorial Fund " offering, on the part of the Com- mittee of that Fund, to place the sum raised (about 400) in the hands of the Society if it would agree to give annually a gold medal for the case of the greatest gallantry during the year, to be called the " Stanhope Medal." This was agreed to, and the medal has been awarded every year since. The Stanhope medal is exactly similar to the Society's awards, described above, but is struck in gold, in place of silver or bronze ; a bar clasp, inscribed Stanhope Medal, replaces the curved scroll ; and the ribbon, instead of being a whole blue, is blue with an edging of black and yellow. Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's Medals. CIVIL MEDALS 269 This Society does admirable work in acknowledging the gallantry of seafaring men who ply from Liverpool as well as in recompensing civilians who perform deeds of gallantry within the town of Liverpool. Its earliest medal is the Marine medal, instituted in 1839, but first awarded in 1840. This decoration gives, on one face, a man kneeling on a piece of wreckage in the act of assisting another man to draw an inert body from the water. In the distance is a boat coming to the rescue. Around the upper portion of the face are the words Lord Save us, we perish. On the other side of the medal is a cormorant holding in its mouth a sprig of palm (i.e. the arms of the City of Liverpool). Around it is an oak wreath and the inscription, Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, 1839. A curved scroll clasp acts as suspender for a dark blue ribbon, and this latter terminates, at the top, in a square buckle. The piece is struck in gold, silver and bronze. In 1872, the Society instituted the Camp and Villaverde medal under the following circumstances : In the early part of 1847, a subscription was opened at Liverpool for the purpose of presenting a suitable testimonial to Captain Bernardino Camp, of the Spanish brig Emilio, and his mate, Mr. Villaverde, for having rescued the survivors of the passengers and crew from the wreck of the Royal Mail steamship Tweed, which vessel was lost on the Alacran Shoal, Gulf of Mexico, in the month of February of that year. The idea of presenting a testimonial having been abandoned, the amount collected was left in the hands of the late John Bramley-Moore, Esq., for his disposal. With the desire of perpetuating the names of these brave men, Mr. Bramley-Moore made up the amount to 100, and 270 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR in 1873 presented it to the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society to found a medal for saving life at sea which should bear the names of " Camp and Villaverde," in honour of these gallant Spaniards. The medal is similar in all respects to the 1839 piece, spoken of earlier, but instead of the inscription, Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, 1839, on the reverse, we read, Camp and Villaverde Medal for Saving Life at Sea, 1847. Thirty of these awards have been issued in silver and five in bronze. A month after the Camp and Villaverde medal was instituted, John Bramley-Moore, Esq., handed the Liverpool Society railway stock worth 500 in order to found a further medal to be awarded for saving life at sea, including rescues from drowning within the port of Liverpool. This decoration is exactly similar to the Camp piece, but bears the name, Bramley-Moore. About fifty awards have been made, the majority in silver, but a few in bronze. Another medal issued by the Society came into being on September 29, 1882. This is known as the Liverpool Society's Fire Medal. It is struck in gold, silver and bronze, and is highly prized, locally. The chief recipients, as one might expect, are members of the fire brigade, but the police force figures frequently among the participants. A few silver bars have been awarded. The obverse of the decoration bears a picture of a fireman rescuing two children from a burning building. The distressed mother proffers her thanks to the gallant salvor. The exergue is inscribed, For bravery in saving life. The reverse is similar to that given on the marine CIVIL MEDALS 271 medal of the Society. The clasp is of the curved scroll pattern, and the ribbon is an orange-red. A metal buckle is worn at the top edge of the ribbon. The last medal of the Liverpool Society which we shall describe is known as the General Medal, and was instituted in 1894. It is given for the display of any form of bravery on land for which a more appropriate decoration is not issued. The silver and bronze pieces are circular, and bear in the centre of the obverse a Maltese cross and an imperial crown. Around these is written, For bravery in saving life, 1894. The reverse follows that described for the previous pieces. The clasp is straight with a V-shaped link, like that of the Victoria Cross. The ribbon is composed of five equal stripes, three of orange- red and two of white. A metal buckle is attached to the top end of the ribbon. Bars are awarded occasion- ally. The R.S.P.C.A. Medal for Saving Animal Life. This is an award much coveted by those who have the welfare of animals at heart. It is given by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to persons who expose themselves to dangers in rescuing dumb creatures from perilous positions. A recent award went to a brave soldier who climbed a tall and supple tree in order to dislodge a cat which had remained on its perilous perch for three days. All attempts at persuading the animal to descend of its own accord had failed, and it was only when some one was preparing to shoot the animal that the soldier scaled the tree and brought the cat to safety. He risked his own life, for the upper branches were thin and bent under his weight. 272 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR The obverse of the medal, which is silver, shows a female figure surrounded by a group of animals with the initials, R.S.P.C.A., in the exergue. The reverse gives the full name of the Society, a lion and unicorn, and the inscription, For Animal life saving. The clasp is of the usual scroll pattern, and the ribbon terminates in a bar inscribed, For Humanity. The Royal National Life-Boat Institution's Medal, as its name implies, is awarded to those who man the life- boat and whose " humane and intrepid exertions in saving life from shipwreck on our coasts have been deemed sufficiently conspicuous to merit some honour- able distinction." A total of 1479 awards were made up to the end of 1918, of which 106 were gold, 1351 were silver, and 22 were bronze. The obverse of the medal reveals a bust of the Sovereign that of King George was designed by Bertram MacKennal, Esq., A.R.A. surrounded by a double circular legend : Royal National Life-Boat Institution, Founded 1824, Incorporated 1860, and George V. Patron. The reverse shows three seamen in a lifeboat, one of whom is in the act of rescuing an exhausted mariner from the waves. The inscription, Let not the deep swallow me up, and the engraver's mark , W. Wyon, Mint, also appear. The clasp is formed by two dolphins, facing each other. The ribbon is deep blue, and bars inscribed, Second Service (or a subse- quent service), are awarded when necessary. Lloyd's Medals. Of these there are three awards, highly prized by people connected with the sea. The first is known as Lloyd's Medal for Saving Life at Sea. It bears on the obverse a classical picture depicting the CIVIL MEDALS 273 rescue of Ulysses by Leucothoe. The latter is seen wafting a strip of material to the drowning Ulysses, who reaches safety by clutching at its folds. The incident is described in the Odyssey in the following lines : " This heavenly scarf beneath thy bosom bind, And live : give all thy terrors to the wind." This face is inscribed, Leucothoe naufrago succurrit. The reverse gives a wreath of oak and the words, Presented by Lloyd's. ' Ob Cives Servatos. It is struck in silver and bronze, and hangs from a circular ring through which passes a ribbon of blue, white, red, white and blue. In 1893 Lloyd's Meritorious Service Medal was instituted for bestowal on those in command of vessels who, by their skilful seamanship or presence of mind, are able to avert serious danger either to their craft or cargo. The obverse of the award shows the armorial device of the corporation which is the arms of London above an anchor within a circular band inscribed, Presented by Lloyd's. The reverse gives a wreath of oak, en- closing a folded scroll, on which are the words, For Meritorious Services. It is struck in silver and bronze, and hangs from a circular ring through which passes a blue ribbon with two wide silvery stripes. For miscellaneous services rendered to Lloyd's, a medal was struck for the first time in 1913. The upper face introduces King Neptune in a chariot drawn by four horses, not sea-horses, however, whilst the under- side gives the oak wreath and folded scroll, as before, but with the wording, For Services to Lloyd's. In other respects, this medal is identical to their Meritorious s 274 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR award, except that it is provided in gold as well as silver and bronze. The London County Council's Fire Medals. The Long Service medal awarded by the L.C.C. to all firemen who perform fifteen years' service with " zeal and fidelity " is a very fine piece of workmanship. A scantily clad female figure sits on a ledge and holds a wreath over a tablet bearing the words, Awarded by the London County Council for Good Service. By her side is a shield charged with the arms of the City of London. The opposite face shows a horse-drawn fire-engine. The exergue on this side is filled by the words, London Fire Brigade. The clasp consists of a curved scroll, not unlike that mentioned for so many campaign medals. The ribbon is golden-orange, whilst the metal is bronze. The Medal for Bravery at Fires is similar to the above, but the legend on the obverse runs, Awarded by the London County Council for Bravery ; the ribbon is red and white in equal stripes, three of the former and two of the latter ; and the metal is silver. A third award is reserved for those who render Long Service in the Salvage Corps. Fifteen years of devoted service qualify for this medal which shows, on the obverse, a draped female figure presenting a wreath to a kneeling fireman. In the background is a salvage cart. The reverse gives the name of the recipient followed by the words, For Long and Efficient Service in the Salvage Corp. All this is surrounded by a laurel wreath. The clasp is straight ; the metal is bronze ; and the ribbon is black and blue with white edges. The King's Police Medal. Unlike other police decorations mentioned in these pages, this award is CIVIL MEDALS 275 available for members of all the various forces through- out the Kingdom and Colonies. It was instituted in 1901, at the suggestion of King Edward, for presenta- tion to officers who perform distinguished work of any special nature whatsoever, whether it be long service supplemented by brilliant organisation, exceptional devotion in guarding royal or high political personages, or in showing unusual ability in detecting and suppress- ing crime. No more than one hundred and twenty awards may be made in any one year, but this number is seldom attained. The medal, struck in silver, gives the sovereign's profile, together with a suitable inscription on the obverse, whilst the reverse depicts an armed male figure standing on guard. He clasps a sword and shows an attitude of preparedness. A shield which he bears is inscribed with the legend, To guard my people. A ring serves as attachment, and through this passes a white ribbon with two wide bars of deep blue. Special Constabulary Medal. This award is not yet issued, but will be struck in bronze, and be provided with a riband, if inches wide, having a broad central stripe of red and three narrow stripes on either side of white, black and white. A bar inscribed, The Great War, 1914-1918, will be issued to those who served for three years without pay during this period, and who performed no less than one hundred and fifty police duties. The Board of Trade Medal. This medal is given for saving life, but its object is not to decorate people whose gallantry comes within the province of the Humane Society's awards, or those issued by other organisations. It is bestowed in batches in cases where 276 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR a number of individuals unite their efforts in performing dangerous rescue work. The pieces are struck in silver and bronze, and show, on the obverse, the effigy of the reigning sovereign, together with the royal cypher and the words, Awarded by the Board of Trade for Gallantry in Saving Life. The reverse exhibits the figure of a man holding on to a spar as he floats in the water ; he signals to a lifeboat which is forging towards him. Elsewhere, a man is drawing into safety a seaman, whilst a woman, sitting on a rock, comforts a baby. A scroll clasp attaches a bright red ribbon possessing two stripes of white, neither of which quite touch the edging. The above medal is reserved for British subjects, but where similar acts are performed by people of foreign nationality a companion award is made through the Foreign Office. In this case, the ribbon is a whole- coloured crimson, as was formerly used for the Army Long Service medal. Arctic and Antarctic Medals. In the London Gazette of January 30, 1857, appeared the following notice : " Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to signify Her commands that a medal be granted to all persons, of every rank and class, who have been engaged in the several expeditions to the Arctic regions whether of discovery or search, between the years 1818 and 1855, both inclusive, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty give notice of the same. " The medal will accordingly be awarded as follows : " i. To the officers, seamen and Marines of Her Majesty's ships and vessels employed on the several voyages to the Arctic Seas during the specific period, CIVIL MEDALS 277 and also to the officers of the French Navy and to such volunteers as accompanied these expeditions. "2. To the officers, seamen and others who were engaged in the expeditions to the Arctic Seas, equipped by the Government and citizens of the United States. "3. To the commanders and crews of the several expeditions which originated in the zeal and humanity of Her Majesty's subjects. "4. To persons who have served in the several land expeditions, whether equipped by Her Majesty's Government, by the Hudson's Bay Company or from private resources." The medal, which was sanctioned for Arctic Expeditions undertaken during the years 1818-55, is silver and octagonal. The obverse gives a profile of the Queen, facing left, and displays a tiara. The legend Victoris Regina, also appears. The reverse has a picture of a ship blocked in the ice. Icebergs are to the seen to the left of it, whilst in the foreground is a sledging party. Above are the words, For Arctic Discoveries. An exergue gives the date, 1818-1855. The artist was L. C. Wyon. Not only is this medal curious, insomuch as it is eight-sided, but a five-pointed star and a ring serve as mounting a unique form of suspender. The ribbon is white and watered (i| inches wide). A second Arctic decoration was authorised in 1876, as the following Admiralty announcement of November 28, 1876, intimates : " Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to signify Her commands that a medal be granted to all persons, of every rank and class, who were serving on board Her Majesty's ships Alert and Discovery during 278 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR the Arctic Expedition of 1875-76, and on board the yacht Pandora, in her voyage to the Arctic regions in 1876, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty hereby give notice of the same. " The medal will accordingly be awarded as follows : " i. To the officers, seamen, Marines and other persons serving on board Her Majesty's ships Alert and Discovery between the I7th July, 1875, and the 2nd November, 1876. "2. To the officers and crew of the yacht Pandora between the 3rd June, 1876, and 2nd November, 1876." This medal is silver and circular. The obverse presents a bust of Queen Victoria, crowned, with a veil falling behind her head. The inscription is Victoria Regina, 1876. The reverse depicts a ship packed in the ice, with heavy clouds gathering in the sky. The obverse is the work of G. G. Adams, whilst L. C. Wyon is responsible for the reverse. A straight clasp is provided to engage the white ribbon which, however, is not watered (i| inches wide). In 1904 a third type of medal was issued, which has since become established as a standard award for use as occasion may arise. The piece originally served for presentation to Captain Scott and the crew of the Discovery. The medal is again octagonal. It bears, on the front, the profile of the reigning sovereign in naval dress. (Scott received it with the profile of King Edward.) The sovereign's name and title are inscribed in Latin. The underface shows the Discovery in its winter quarters, whilst a sledging party has taken up a position in front of it. The usual curved scroll clasp CIVIL MEDALS 279 is provided, and the ribbon is white (unwatered). The crew of the Discovery received the piece struck in silver with a bar, Antarctic, 1901-1904 ; but those of the Terra Nova and Morning were awarded bronze pieces without bars. The latest Antarctic medals bear the profile of King George, and are provided with the distinguishing bars, Antarctic, 1907-1909 ; Antarctic, 1910-1913; Antarctic, 1912; and Antarctic, 1914- 1916. The Edward Medal. This award is often spoken of as the miners' V.C., for its original purpose was to reward miners who performed gallant acts in the depths of the earth. Two years after its institution by King Edward, in 1907, the scope of the award was extended so as to include cases where persons " endanger their own lives in endeavouring to save the lives of others from perils in connection with industrial employment." At first there was the Edward medal of the First Class, and the Edward medal of the Second Class ; now, however, the two pieces are styled the Edward medal in silver and the Edward medal. The latter, we may add, is in bronze. The obverse bears the sovereign's profile with his name and title in Latin, whilst the reverse gives either a picture of a miner assisting a fallen comrade or a woman with a wreath, according to whether the award is given for bravery in a mine or in a factory. An oval ring serves as attachment, and through this passes a dark blue ribbon with narrow yellow edges. The Kaisar-I-Hind Decoration came into being in May, 1900, and is awarded for distinguished services which add materially to the welfare of India and her 2 8o THE MEDAL COLLECTOR people. Individuals of any nationality and in any walk of life may receive this honour. The decoration consists of an oval badge bearing, on one side, the royal cypher in an ornamental wreath and, on the other, a spray of flowers and the inscriptions, For Public Service in India and Kaisar-I-Hind. At the summit of the oval is a crown which joins on to the slot clasp that takes the plain blue ribbon. The badge is fashioned in gold for the first class and silver for the second. The Transport Medal was instituted soon after the Boer War, and was given to officers in the Mercantile Marine who had command of ships transporting troops and supplies to the battle area. It is a standing award, available for distribution on any future occasion that may arise. The obverse bears the profile of the reigning sovereign in naval dress with his name and title inscribed in Latin. (So far the profile of King Edward has alone been used on this piece.) The reverse shows a map of almost the whole of the world with an ocean liner below it. Around the edge is given the inscription, Ob patriam militibus per mare transvectis adjutant. The medal is struck in silver, has a straight clasp, and a ribbon of red with two wide bars of deep blue, neither of which touch the edges. At present there are two bars, China, 1900, and South Africa, 1899-1902. CHAPTER XVI MEDALS OF THE UNITED STATES BEFORE the Americans entered the Great Conflict of 1914-18, few British collections contained specimens of the medals issued by the United States, and few pieces were offered for sale in Europe. To-day, however, the decorations belonging to this interesting group are highly prized, and collectors are anxious to secure the most attractive items. Choice pieces have risen in value as a consequence of the greater demand, and it seems more than probable that they will continue to do so for some little while to come. The medallic history of the United States may be said to commence with the Civil War, but it is interest- ing to note that George Washington issued a general order at Newburg, on August 7, 1782, proclaiming that when any singularly meritorious action was reported by a board of officers, the soldier responsible for the act should have his name inscribed in the " book of merit," and should be permitted to wear a heart made of purple cloth, edged with a narrow binding. Any man wearing this device, the order stated, should be permitted to pass all guards and sentinels which officers 'were permitted to pass. The purple heart was thus the forerunner of American medals, and a collector 281 282 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR would consider himself fortunate indeed were he the possessor of one of these emblems of valour. Medal o! Honor.* The first medal authorised by the government of the United States to be worn upon the person as a war decoration was the naval Medal of Honor. This award was provided for by an act of Congress of December 21, 1861, and was to be " bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present (Civil) war." The terms of the act did not permit of the bestowal of the Medal of Honor upon commissioned or warrant officers, but limited the reward to enlisted men of the Navy or Marines. The medal was struck in bronze taken from captured cannon. In form it is a five-pointed star with a circular central medallion, the points of the star being of trefoil shape. On the central medallion is a design represent- ing Minerva standing with her left hand resting upon fasces, and with a shield in her right hand, warding off the figure of Discord. Around this is a circle of thirty- four stars, one for each state of the Union as it existed in 1 86 1. The rays of the piece are decorated with oak and laurel leaves. The medal is suspended by means of two bronze clasps separated by the ribbon. The lower clasp bears fasces and, centrally, a single five-pointed star, whilst the upper one bears fasces and no star. The ribbon worn with this original medal has thirteen vertical stripes of alternate red and white with a band of blue across the top. On July 12, 1862, a resolution of Congress authorised * Colonel Williams in U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, April, 1919. MEDALS OF THE UNITED STATES 283 the President to extend the award to the Army, and thus included non-commissioned officers and privates " as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action." The medal for this purpose was similar to that mentioned above, but the suspending clasps differed. The lower clasp bore a trophy of arms and an eagle, whilst the upper clasp consisted of the national shield with a cornucopia on either side. The ribbon agreed with that used for the Navy. In 1863 Congress enacted a law making com- missioned officers in the Army eligible for the Medal of Honor, but the same privilege, we believe, was only extended to the Navy in 1915. In 1876 the Army ribbon was changed, and then consisted of a narrow central stripe of white, flanked by a narrow stripe of blue on either side, then a wide bar of red extending to the edges. This was worn around the neck. Fresh changes came in 1904, for in this year the medal was altered to the following : A five-pointed star provided, as previously, with a central circular medallion made of silver, heavily gold-plated and bearing the head of Minerva. A wreath of laurel in green enamel links up the points of the star. The piece is suspended by means of two gold links from a bar which is sur- mounted by an eagle and a ring for attaching the medal to the neck ribbon. The word, Valor, is inscribed on the clasp. The remaining fact to mention concerns the approval of the President, on March i, 1913, of the use of a similar ribbon for all services. Now, the silk attach- ment is light blue with thirteen white stars. The Distinguished Service Cross was instituted on 284 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR January 12, 1918, and is awarded for such services as its name implies. The decoration is a fanciful St. George's bronze cross, in the centre of which is the American eagle with outspread wings. Upon the limbs of the first hundred pieces to be struck were oak leaves, but these are omitted in the case of later specimens. Below the horizontal limbs of the cross are two scrolls inscribed, For Valor. A small circular ring The U.S. Distinguished Service Cross. The U.S. Distinguished Service Medal. joins the uppermost limb to a ribbon which is blue with two narrow edges of red and white. The Navy, as well as the Army, is eligible for the D.S.C. The Distinguished Service Medal also owes its inception to the conflict in Europe. It is made of bronze, and consists of an eagle with outspread wings, bearing on its chest the shield of the United States. The eagle is surrounded by a circular band inscribed, Distinguished Service, MCMXVIII. A straight orna- mental clasp takes the ribbon, which is white with an edging of red and blue. MEDALS OF THE UNITED STATES 285 The Certificate o Merit Badge is bronze, and gives on the upper face a Roman eagle, surrounded by the motto, Virtutis et audacice monumentum et prcemium. The underface shows a wreath of oak encircling the words, For Merit. The inscription, United States Army, and thirteen stars also appear. The ribbon is white in the centre, and then red, white and blue on either side, the blue forming the edges. The Manila Bay Medal presents a profile of Admiral Dewey on the obverse. On the field, behind his effigy is the following inscription : The gift of the people of the United States to the Officers and Men of the Asiatic Squadron under the command of Commodore George Dewey. A sailor, partly unclothed, is given on the reverse. He is sitting on a gun and grasps his national flag. Around him is printed, In Memory of the Victory of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898 U.S. S. Olympia. Beneath the figure is a species of exergue, stamped with the name of the recipient's ship. An ornamental clasp fixes the ribbon, which is yellow with wide blue edges. (Gold and blue, it may be added, are the Navy colours.) Medal for Naval Engagements, West Indies, 1898. Commonly spoken of as the Sampson medal, this piece bears on the obverse an effigy of Rear- Admiral Sampson, surrounded by the inscription, U.S. Naval Campaign, West Indies, 1898. On the reverse, three men are seen standing on the deck of a battle-ship. Below them is printed the name and date of the engagement. The medal, which is bronze, hangs from a clasp inscribed with the name of the recipient's ship. Usually, the award is found with a number of bars which, it appears, were liberally distributed. The ribbon is red, blue, and red. 286 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR A companion piece was given for specially meri- torious services during these engagements against the Spaniards. In this case, the obverse showed Admiral Sampson in white service dress, wearing the emblems of a captain. Special Meritorious Badge. This decoration was given in connection with the naval campaign in the West Indies during the year* 1898. The piece is a bronze cross-pattee with a circular central medallion. An anchor and wreath fill the centre and in a ring around them are the words, Naval Campaign West Indies. The four limbs of the cross are inscribed, Specially Meritorious Service, 1898. The ribbon is a plain red. The Philippine Congressional Medal shows a colour party consisting of three infantrymen carrying an unfurled flag. Around them is the wording, Philippine Insurrection, and in the exergue is the date, 1899. The underface is inscribed, For Patriotism, Fortitude and Loyalty, surrounded by pine and palm branches. The ribbon is blue, edged with narrow stripes of blue, white, red and white. The Civil War Campaign Badge. The Army award gives, on the exergue, a characteristic portrait of Lincoln, facing right. His famous dictum, quoted from the Gettysburg address, runs around the edge of this face " With malice towards none, with charity for all." Oak and laurel branches, together with the inscription, The Civil War, 1861-1865, fill the reverse. Two ribbons are associated with this award ; the first is red, white, blue, white, blue, white, and red, whilst the second is half blue and half grey, vertically divided. The Navy award reveals, on the obverse, a spirited MEDALS OF THE UNITED STATES 287 rendering of the fight between the Monitor and the Merrimac in the Hampton Roads, together with the inscription, The Civil War, 1861-1865. The reverse consists of an eagle resting on a foul anchor, and the words, For Service, United States Navy. The Marine Corps award follows the description given for the Navy, but the reverse runs, For Service, United States Marine Corps. The Indian Wars Campaign Badge shows on the upper face a mounted Indian warrior, holding a spear. At his horse's feet is the skull of a buffalo and a group of arrow heads. Above him, we read, Indian Wars. The underf ace of the medal depicts an eagle seated on a gun. Five standards, thirteen stars, and a trophy of arms surround the national bird, also the inscription, For Service, United States Army. This reverse, it should be mentioned, serves also hi all cases of circular pieces where no other pattern is mentioned. The ribbon is brick-red with narrow edges of black. These colours were selected in imitation of the Indians' war paint. The Spanish Campaign Badge. This decoration reveals, on the obverse, a castle with two turrets, one for Havana and one for Santiago de Cuba, also the words, War with Spain, and the year, 1898. To the left of the date is a spray of the tobacco plant, whilst to the right is a strip of sugar cane. The reverse is the same as that mentioned for the Indian Wars badge. The ribbon was red, yellow and red, with a narrow edging of blue, but this was changed in 1913 to yellow with two bars of deep blue. The Navy and Marine Corps badge has now the yellow and blue ribbon, whilst the obverse gives a picture of the Mono Castle at the entrance of Havana 288 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Harbour. The inscription, Spanish Campaign, 1898, also appears. This badge is also found with the words, West Indies Campaign. The Philippine Insurrection Campaign Badge. The obverse of the Army badge gives a palm tree, having at its left a Roman lamp, symbolic of enlightenment, and at its right a pair of scales, to signify justice. The words, Philippine Insurrection, 1899, also appear. The reverse is the same as that mentioned for the Indian Wars badge. The ribbon is blue with two wide bars of red placed almost at the edges. The Navy and Marine Corps badge for this campaign was struck with a rendering of the old gate in the city walls of Manila, and the inscription, Philippine Cam- paign, 1899-1903. The China Relief Expedition Badge. For this ex- pedition, an Army medal was issued showing, on the upper face, a fanciful Chinese dragon surrounded by the words, China Relief Expedition, 1900-1901. The reverse is the same as that mentioned for the Indian Wars badge. The ribbon is yellow with narrow edges of blue, the old national colours of China. The Navy and Marine Corps badge reveals a drawing of the chief gate of Pekin, above a dragon, surrounded by the inscription, China Relief Expedition, 1900. The Cuban Badges. Of these there are three specimens ; the first is known as the Cuban Army Pacification badge ; the second, the Cuban Navy Pacification badge ; and the third, the Cuban Occupa- tion badge. The first may be recognised by the picture of two soldiers, one standing on either side of a shield displaying the arms of the Cuban Republic ; the MEDALS OF THE UNITED STATES 289 second by a representation of Columbia presenting an olive branch to Cuba. (Both these have an olive-drab ribbon with an edging of narrow red, white and blue stripes) ; the third by the coat-of-arms of Cuba, and a ribbon with a central stripe of blue, edged with yellow, and a red stripe edged by blue. Nicaraguan Campaign Badge. For this engagement of 1912 a medal was issued bearing a view of one of the volcanic peaks of Mount Momotombo and the inscription, Nicaraguan Campaign, 1912. The ribbon is dark red with blue stripes near either edge. Mexican Campaign Badge. In this case, two distinct medals were struck for the Army and Navy. The former piece gives a yucca plant, in full bloom, with a background of hills, and the inscription, Mexican Service, 1911-1917. The latter, which served also for the Marine Corps, depicts the castle of San Juan de Ulloa, and bears the words, Mexican Service, 1914. The ribbon is yellow, blue and yellow with green edges. The Haitian Campaign Badge is a bronze medal showing a seascape backed by the mountains of Cape Haitian. The inscription, Haitian Campaign, 1915, surrounds the picture. The ribbon is blue with two narrow stripes of red, the national colours of Haiti. Naval Good Conduct Medal. This medal is given to enlisted men on completing four years' satisfactory service. The piece bears, centrally, a picture of the sailing ship Constitution. Framing it is a circular length of cable, and behind this is an anchor, a chain, and the words, United States Navy. The ribbon is red. Bars are given for additional service of an exemplary character. Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. On this piece T 290 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR we have a marine approaching the breach of a gun. He holds a scroll on which is the motto, Semper Fidelis. Behind this picture is an anchor, a chain, and the words, United States Marine Corps. The ribbon is deep red with a centre stripe of blue. Conditions respecting the grant of this medal and its bars are similar to those governing the naval award. In addition to the above decorations there are a number of badges which are worn in the same way that medals are. They are not provided with ribbons, however, and are given for such qualifications as sharp-shooting and expert firing with rifle and pistol. CHAPTER XVII FOREIGN AWARDS THE Belgian Order of Leopold. This Order of Leopold I. was instituted by a Royal Warrant dated July n, 1832. The badge consists of a Maltese cross, fashioned in gold, but enamelled white. The outer edges of the cross are shaped as a V, and the points are capped with a ball. In the centre is a gold lion on a black ground which is encircled by a purple-crimson band bearing the motto, L'~ Union fait la Force. Between and behind the limbs of the cross is a green wreath of palm and oak. A Belgian crown in gold surmounts the cross and links it up to a purplish watered ribbon. This is a description of the badge when awarded to civilians, but mili- tary recipients are given the same badge with crossed swords placed between the cross and the crown; they also wear the ribbon decorated with a palm 291 Order of Leopold. 292 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR sheaf, in the centre of which is the letter A (Albert). There are five classes in this order, i.e. Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer, and Companion. The Belgian Order of Leopold n. This order originated in the year 1900, and consists of the five classes mentioned for the senior honour of Leopold I. The fifth class, only, is given for military purposes, and carries the palm on the ribbon and the letter, A. The badge is a silver Maltese cross with V-shaped ends and balls at the points. A rampant lion appears in silver in the centre on a black enamel ground. A circle of blue encloses it, and this bears the motto, V Union fait la Force, in silver lettering. On the underface, this space is filled by the letter A, reversed and interlaced, below a crown. A wreath runs between and behind the limbs of the cross, and a Belgian crown surmounts the badge. The ribbon is a rich royal blue with a wide black central stripe. The Belgian Order of the Crown. This order came into being in the nineties, and was intended as a decoration for those who performed valuable services in the Belgian Congo. In the year 1910. however, the Order of the African Star took its place, and the Order of the Crown became a purely Belgian award. The badge is a five-limbed, white-enamelled star with V-shaped ends. In the centre is a gold crown on a Order of Leopold II. cross ball Centre Medallion on many reverses of Belgian Decorations. FOREIGN AWARDS 293 blue field. On the underface, this space is filled by the letter A, reversed and interlaced. Between the limbs are a series of pointed rays re- presenting flames, whilst above the star, is a green wreath of laurel. The ribbon is claret- watered silk. The Belgian Military Cross consists of a Maltese with V-shaped ends, i figuring at each point. The piece is made in gold, but the limbs are enamelled black. The centre bears the rampant lion in gold, and the crown, above the cross, is in the same metal. Crossed swords repose between the limbs of the award. The ribbon is green with two wide bars of red, neither of which touch the edges. Officers receive the decoration with a red and green rosette fixed to the ribbon, but this is not given to the non-commissioned ranks. The Belgian Military Medal is given to N.C.O.'s and men, variously, for long service and special devotion. The piece is a silver-gilt Maltese cross with straight edges. The centre shows the rampant lion and the motto, as before. On the underside, this space is filled by the letter A, reversed and interlaced, in a ring inscribed, Arm'ee, Mcrite. Rays are placed between the limbs, and a crown figures above the cross. When given for long service, the ribbon is red, yellow and black Belgian Order of the Crown. 294 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR in seventeen very narrow stripes ; but when awarded for " devotion and courage " the ribbon is edged with three narrow stripes of red, yellow and black with a wide central stripe of red. The Belgian Croix de Guerre is the only decoration awarded by Belgium for " acts of war/' which does not carry the privilege of wearing a palm spray on the ribbon. The cross was instituted in 1915 : it is a bronze Maltese cross with V-shaped ends and balls at the points. The centre gives the rampant lion, on the obverse, and the letter A, reversed and interlaced, on the under face. Between the limbs are crossed swords and a crown surmounts the cross. The ribbon is red with five narrow stripes of green, one near either edge and three placed centrally. The Belgian " Reine Elisabeth " Medal was given by the Queen of the Belgians to women who performed acts of courage and devotion during the war. The medal is a fanciful circle with a frosted gilt surface ; it bears a profile of Queen Elizabeth and the legend, Elisabeth, Reine des Beiges, on the obverse and, on the reverse, a humble female figure grasping an ornamental cresset, with the words, Pro Patria Honore et Caritate, and the date. A circular wreath links the piece to the ribbon, which is coloured a French grey with wide, dull rose-purple edges. A red cross figures within the circular wreath when the award is given for nursing service. The Egyptian Order of the Nile. On the grounds of geographical classification, it is perhaps not strictly correct to speak of this order under the head of " Foreign Awards," but we include it, and the two items which follow in this chapter, because the three decorations FOREIGN AWARDS 295 rank in much the same category as the other pieces here described. The Order of the Nile received sanction in 1915, and is given for valuable service of either a military or civil nature. There are five classes, and the collectable emblems consist of a star and a badge. The star has ten rays, half of which are gold and the remainder silver. Lying on these is a smaller five- rayed star of white enamel capped by an Egyptian crown. In the centre is an inscription in Arabic. The badge is like the star, but of smaller dimensions. The ribbon is a vivid blue with a wide orange stripe almost touching each edge. The Egyptian Military Star of the Sultan Fouad. This is a decoration which was instituted late in 1919 for officers hi the Egyptian native army and foreign officers attached to the Egyptian forces who display courage and resource in the face of the enemy. The star has five rays, ena- melled white, but edged with gold. Each ray has a streak of gold running through its entire length. The centre of the star is red and blue enamel, and consists of a laurel wreath and the Sul- tan's symbols. On the reverse, the name of the decoration is rendered in Arabic characters. Bars are awarded when circumstances warrant an additional recompense. The Egyptian Medal for Bravery is a much coveted, but unattractive silver piece, fashioned on the lines Egyptian Medal for Bravery. 2 g6 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR of the British campaign medals, but without any attempt at ornamental effect. The obverse gives the cypher and other particulars of the Khedive, in Arabic, whilst the reverse states, boldly, For Bravery, in both English and Arabic. The clasp is of the familiar curved scroll pattern, and the ribbon is a light Cambridge blue. The French Legion of Honour. This decoration owes its origin to Napoleon, and came into being in 1802. The earliest awards bore the head of the Emperor on the obverse, and an imperial eagle with the motto, Honneur ct Patrie, on the reverse ; there was also a crown resting be- tween the cross and the ribbon. These pieces are, naturally, of considerable rarity. The current type consists of a five-limbed cross or star with V-shaped ends, and balls at all the corners. The limbs are enamelled white on gold. Between them is a green wreath. In the centre of the piece appears a female head typifying France, and around this profile are the words, Republique Francaise and 1870. On the underface, this space is filled by two flags, and the legend, Honneur ei Patrie. Above the cross is a green wreath, which serves as attachment for the scarlet, watered-silk ribbon. Members of the order who rank as Grand Croix, Grands Officers or Commandeurs wear the decoration Legion of Honour. FOREIGN AWARDS 297 as here mentioned. The Officiers have the award with a scarlet rosette fixed to the ribbon, whilst the Chevaliers receive the award enamelled on silver instead of on gold. The French Medaille Militaire consists of a circular silver wreath, within which is a blue enamelled band inscribed, RepuUique Fmncaise, 1870. This band encloses the same effigy as mentioned for the Legion of Honour, but is gilt. On the under surface, the centre space is filled by the words, Valeur et Discipline. Above the wreath is a cuirasse and a trophy of arms. The ribbon is yellow with green edges. Many of these pieces were awarded to our soldiers who fought in the Crimea, and such copies are still to be seen occa- sionally. They bore the head of Napoleon and a spread eagle in- stead of the effigy of France and the trophy of arms. The French Croix de Guerre often figures among the decorations of the British soldiers who fought in Northern France during the years 1914-18. It is a bronze cross of four slender limbs with crossed swords placed between the angles. In the centre is a head typifying France, surrounded by the words, RepuUique Francaise. The ribbon is green with seven very narrow lines of crimson. When receiving the Croix de Guerre for being mentioned in a despatch, a soldier wears on his ribbon A small " palme en bronze " if mentioned in an Army Despatch. F rench Medaille Militaire. 298 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR A silver-gilt star if mentioned in an Army Corps Despatch. A silver star if mentioned in a Divisional Despatch. A bronze star if mentioned in a Brigade, Regimental, or similar unit Despatch.* More than one of these signs may be worn on the same ribbon, but when five bronze palms have been received these are replaced by a single one in silver. It is of peculiar interest to note that the Croix de Guerre was bestowed upon the 4th Shropshires, as a regiment, for then: splendid work in France during the late campaign. The French Veterans' Medal of 1870-1. This decora- tion was struck a few years ago by the Republic and awarded to the French soldiers who fought in the Franco-German War of 1870-1, and who were alive at the time the medal was ready for presentation. The obverse gives the familiar woman's head typifying France, whilst the reverse presents a trophy of arms, including the tricolour, and the legend, Aux Defenseurs de la Patrie. The ribbon consists of four strips of black and five of green, all equal in width. The Greek Military Cross is an artistic decoration fashioned in white metal and lacquered. A wide-bladed dagger is placed vertically, tip uppermost, upon a wreath of laurel, and this, in turn, lies on a horizontal tablet bearing a Greek inscription. The ribbon is black watered silk with blue edges. Though this piece is only awarded for meritorious service in action, we have had a dozen opportunities of buying specimens at sums always less than ten shillings. The Greek Medal of Military Merit is less attractive * " Ribbons and Medals," p. 74. FOREIGN AWARDS 299 than the decoration mentioned above. A rather severe cross of St. George reposes on a slight St. Andrew's cross, and woven between them is a laurel wreath. In the centre of the piece is a bird with outspread wings, and around it is a Greek inscription. The metal is bronze, and the ribbon is a dull brown-yellow with two bars of black. There are four classes governing the award, and these are denoted by various insignia placed upon the ribbon. The Italian Croce di Guerra is a somewhat plain cross inscribed with the words, Merito di Guerra ; it bears also the royal cypher and a spray of laurel. The ribbon is a Cambridge blue with two stripes of white. The Italian Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus. This is an order of much antiquity and dignity : the badge consists of a cross with a trefoil (three circles joined) at each terminal. Between the limbs is a St. Andrew's cross having v- sna P e d ends, the points of which are capped with small balls. The former cross is enamelled white with a framework of gold, whilst the latter is green with a similar edging. In the case of the first four classes, a gold crown rests between the cross and the sus- Order of st - Maurice and , . . . , St. Lazarus. pension ring, but this is absent in the fifth class. The ribbon is a plain and rather crude green. The Italian Military Order of Savoy dates from the beginning of last century, but its constitution has The Military Order of Savoy. 300 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR suffered considerable remodelling as changes have overtaken the land of its birth. To-day, the Order of Savoy fulfils much the same function in Italy as does the D.S.O. in Great Britain. The badge is a cross with scalloped ends, the centre of which bears the date 1855, two crossed swords and the initials V.E. (Victor Emmanuel I.). The limbs are of white enamel with gold edging, whilst the centre medallion is a bright crimson. Between the four arms of the cross is a green wreath of laurel and oak, whilst above the upper arm is a crown in the case of the first three classes of the order, an array of flags in the fourth class, and no device in the fifth class. The ribbon is deep blue with a centre stripe of crimson. The earliest badges bore a centre medallion carrying the cross of Savoy, which is white on a crimson field. The Italian Order o! the Crown was instituted in February, 1868. The badge is a cross-pattee, enamelled white and edged with gold, em- bellished between the limbs with golden love-knots. In the centre is a deep blue medallion bear- ing a representation of the Iron Crown. This latter is beautifully jewelled, and is represented in its true colours. The ribbon is red, white and red in equal stripes. Members of the two lowest classes Tne Italian Order of the Crown. The Order of the Rising Sun. FOREIGN AWARDS 301 wear the ribbon attached to a rosette of red and white. The star of the order has eight principal rays, bears a reproduction of the Iron Crown, also a displayed eagle, and is in- scribed, Victorius Emmanuel II., Rex Italia, MDCCCLXVI. The Japanese Order o! the Rising Sun is known under a variety of names, but all refer to the dawn of day. There are eight classes, and the badges vary slightly with them. The piece consists of a red enamelled centre, representing the sun, from which issue thirty-two rays with forked terminals. The rays are white with gold or silver edges. Above this arrangement are three blossoms and a leaf of the pau- lonia, enamelled in green and picked out in gold. In the case of the eighth class, a leaf of the kini takes the place of the pau- lonia. The ribbon is white with crimson edges. The Portuguese Royal Military Order of the Tower and Sword has been bestowed on many British officers in the recent and pre- vious wars. The badge most frequently seen consists of a five-pointed star having in the centre a blue garter inscribed, Valor lealdade e merito. Within this, on a white field, is a gold sword resting on a green wreath. The Order of the Tower and Sword. 302 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Between the limbs of the cross is a circular spray of oak, loaded with acorns. The apex of the badge is formed by a representation of a tower from which emerges a suspension ring. The ribbon is dark blue. The Prussian Iron Cross is well known to most readers, having been bestowed with a liberal hand during the late war. Not only are genuine copies by no means rare, but counterfeits, perfect in every particular, are openly sold in Cologne to the Army of Occupation. The cross was instituted by Frederick William in 1813, and is made of a thin piece of lacquered cast iron fitted into a silver frame. The 1813 pattern gave a crown on the upper limb, the date, 1813, on the lower, and a spray of oak leaves at the centre junction. When re-instituted in 1870, the cross appeared with the crown, as before, the letter W, in place of the oak leaves, and the amended date, 1870. The most recent pattern is similar to that issued for the Franco-Prussian War, but with the year altered to 1914. We are told that specimens are to be had with various dates between 1914 and 1918, but, though we have taken pains to seek for dates later than 1914, we have not been able to find copies so inscribed. Our own specimen, bought for a few shillings after the Armistice, is cast with the year 1914. Members of the Grand Cross are given a very large decoration with sufficient ribbon to hang the piece around the neck, but others wear the ordinary size medal fixed to the button-hole. Military members use a black ribbon with two wide bars of white, neither of which touch the edge ; civil members have a ribbon of white with wide black bars. The Roumanian Order of the Crown has a badge FOREIGN AWARDS. 303 consisting of a Maltese cross with v-shaped extremi- ties. Each limb is enamelled crimson with a wide edging of white. The cross itself is outlined with a narrow framework of gold. A centre medallion con- tains a gold crown on a crimson field, and the same colour is used for the circular band which runs around the crown. On the band is the legend, Prin Not Insine, 14 Martie, 1 88 1. Between each limb of the cross is the letter C, reversed and inter- The ribbon is blue with two stripes The Roumanian Order of the Crown. laced, in gold, of white. The Russian Order of St. George. This is a military order which has enjoyed considerable popularity. The badge is a white enamelled Maltese cross, edged with gold. In the centre is a medallion giving St. George and the dragon, in colours. The ribbon is orange with three wide bars of black. There are six classes in the order, the first four of which were intended for officers, and the latter two for N.C.O.'s and men. On the death of the Czar, the distinction between officers and men was removed. The Order of St. George. 304 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR PLATE 24 A Figs, i and 2. Diamond Jubilee Police Medal. Obverse and Reverse. Figs. 3 and 4. Coronation Police Medal (Edwardian pattern). Obverse and Reverse. Figs. 5 and 6. Coronation Police Medal (Georgian pattern). Obverse and Reverse. Fig. 7. Arctic Medal, 1818-1855. Reverse. Fig. 8. Georgian Coronation Medal. Reverse. B Figs, i and 2. The Croix de Guerre (France). Fig. 3. The Iron Cross (Prussia). Fig. 4. The Turkish Star for Gallipoli, etc. PLATK XXIV FOREIGN AWARDS 305 The Russian Order of St. Andrew possesses a most ornate badge. St. Andrew is seen tifed to the cross associated with this name, and this device is placed on a two-headed eagle. The heads of the eagle are crowned, and upon the crowns rest a pair of swords which, in turn, support a large golden crown, picked out in colours. St. Andrew appears in a flesh-coloured hue; his cross is blue, and the birds are bluish- black. The Russian Order o! St. Stanislas. The badge of this order is a red Maltese cross with V-shaped ends, the points being capped with small gold balls. The centre medallion is white, but bears a green wreath and the letters, SS (St. Stanislas), in red. Between each pair of limbs of the cross is a two- headed, outspread eagle, in gold. The ribbon is white with a wide centre stripe and two narrow ones of red. The Russian Order of St. Anne. In this case, the badge is more than usually attractive. A Maltese cross in gold is enamelled in a deep crimson. In the centre is a coloured medallion showing St. Anne. The Order of St. Anne. (The order was named after Anne, wife of Peter the Great.) Between the limbs of the cross are gold crossed swords, when the award is of u The Order of St. Andrew. 306 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR a military character, but a fanciful ornamentation re- places these when the order partakes of a civil nature. The ribbon is red with a narrow stripe of yellow. The Russian Order of St. Vladimir. " Whoever at the peril of his own life saves ten lives from fire or water " is eligible for membership of this order. The badge is a Maltese cross, the limbs of which are enamelled crimson and red. The centre medallion reveals an imperial mantle of ermine, crowned and bearing the royal cypher. The spaces between the limbs of the cross are plain when the badge is worn by civilians, but crossed swords figure in these The Order of St. Vladimir. , . , . angles when the award has a military significance. The ribbon is a vivid shade of red with black edges. The Sardinian Medal for the Crimea. Other Crimean awards of which we have spoken elsewhere come under the head of campaign medals, but the Sardinian award was only conferred on some four hundred members of the British forces, and was given for special services. The obverse shows the crowned arms of Savoy and the inscription, Al valor e militaire, whilst the reverse bears the particulars of the recipient, within a wreath and, outside the latter, the words Spedizione d'Oriente, 1855-56. The ribbon is blue watered silk. The Serbian Order of St. Sava. There are five classes of this order which is awarded chiefly for services rendered in connection with comforting the FOREIGN AWARDS 307 wounded. The first-class badge is a Maltese cross with V-shaped ends, the points of which are capped by small gold knobs. The cross itself is enamelled white with a wide blue edging. An oval centre medallion gives a rendering of St. Sava, in proper colours, within a band of blue, upon which is written, hi Serbian characters, By his labours he acquired all. This space is filled on the underface by the initials MI (Milan I.), and a crown. Between the limbs of the cross figure double- headed crowned eagles in gold. A large crown sur- mounts the piece, which hangs from a white ribbon displaying two stripes of pale blue, or a plain red ribbon, if admission to the order has been gained for services in the late war.* In the case of the lowest class, the badge is prepared hi silver instead of gold. The Serbian Order of the White Eagle. xhis is an order of the highest distinction consisting of five classes. The badge represents a double - headed eagle in white enamel, picked out hi gold. Upon the breast of the bird is an oval medallion charged with a white cross on a crimson field. Above the two heads is, sometimes, a ribbon of blue enamel, but we have seen pieces where this is absent. The Order of the White Eagle. OV^^IJ. LyiWV-r^/W *JLW* *. A gold Serbian crown surmounts the decoration, an * A Serbian warrant, dated November, 1914. states that all orders and medals which can be awarded in peace tame must, i. received for war service, be worn with a plain red nbb 3o8 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR the ribbon is red with two steel-blue stripes, or a plain red ribbon * if the decoration were won during the recent war. The badge may be found in three sizes, and, for the fifth class, is fashioned in silver. The Serbian Obilitch Medal. Obilitch was the idol of the Serbs when they fought the Turks in 1389, and, ever since, he has been honoured as a national hero. It is somewhat fitting, then, that his name and profile should be used for the bravery medal issued by this little kingdom. This award is circular, and bears, on the obverse, a helmetted head of Obilitch with the words, Miloch Obilitch. On the reverse is a cross- pattee with crossed swords placed between the limbs. In the centre is a wreath of laurel, and the words, For Courage, in Serbian characters. The medal has been struck in gold, silver, silvered-bronze and bronze-gilt. The ribbon is red.* The Turkish Order of the Osmanieh has been con- ferred on many British subjects, and is consequently seen with fair frequency. The badge is a seven-pointed star of gold, enamelled green. Each point is capped with a small knob of gold. The centre medallion, which is crimson, contains a Turkish inscription above a gold crescent. Between the rays of the star is a species of silver trefoil. The suspension clip is orna- mented with a star and crescent, whilst the ribbon is a rather crude green with two stripes of crimson. The Turkish Order of the Medjidie was lavished on the commissioned ranks of the British Army during the Crimea, and has been awarded with no sparing hand until recent times. The badge is a star of seven points with chased rays. Between each pair of rays is a small * Vide, supra. FOREIGN AWARDS 309 crescent and star. In the centre of the piece is a The crimson circle enclosing the cypher of the Sultan, suspension ring is ornamented with a star and crescent, and the ribbon is a pinkish crimson with green edges. The Turkish Star of 1915. This decoration was awarded to the enemy forces taking part in the operations at Gallipoli, the Dardanelles, and the East. It consists of a five-pointed star of red enamel, edged with a silvered metal. In the centre The Order of the Medjidie. is a large crescent which encloses the cypher of the Sultan, and beside it is given, in Turkish characters, the inscription, The Victorious, and the year, 333. These latter are chased on thin silver plates fixed to the enamelled surface. The ribbon is a watered red with a white stripe near either edge. The general appearance of the decoration is lacking in dignity, and most of the specimens we have seen have worn badly, although many of them could have only been a year old when they passed through our hands. Pieces in fair condition can be bought for five shillings, but first-rate specimens fetch half as much again. A host of other orders and decorations might be mentioned in this chapter, since the number of foreign awards available for the collector is legion. Here we have only enumerated the pieces which one is most likely to meet. Should, however, a fuller account be 3io' THE MEDAL COLLECTOR required, the reader is invited to study J. H. Lawrence Archer's " Orders of Chivalry," or C. N. Elvin's " A Handbook of Orders of Chivalry." Both these works are admirable contributions to the subject, but, having been published many years ago, are lacking in recent detail. BIBLIOGRAPHY CARTER, T. War Medals of the British Army, 1893. (Much of this work is devoted to a description of the occasions when medals have been won.) Catalogue of the Coins, Tokens, Medals, Dies, and .Seals in the Museum of the Mint. Two vols. 1906. (A volume of much assistance to those who wish to study technical matters.) DORLING, COMMANDER H. TAFRELL. Ribbons and Medals. Part I. 1916. Ribbons and Medals. Part II. 1918. (George Philip & Son. Ltd.) ELVIN, C. N. Handbook of the Orders of Chivalry, War Medals f and Other Decorations. 1892. (A most useful handbook] unfortunately out of print, dealing with British and Foreign awards. Fully illustrated, partly in colour.) GRUEBER, H. A. A Guide to the Department of Coins and Medals in the British Museum. 1891. (A sixpenny handbook describ- ing the exhibits in the Department with ample descriptive matter concerning the history and craft of medals.) GRUEBER, H. A. A Guide to the Exhibition of English Medals in the British Museum. 1891. (A useful catalogue of British and Indian Medals with a number of Autotype plates.) IRWIN, D. HASTINGS. War Medals and Decorations issued to the British Forces since 1588. (A very thorough work of all-round excellence.) (L. Upcott Gill.) JOHNSON, STANLEY C. Chats on Military Curios. 1915. (Three of the chapters deal with Decorations and Medals.) (T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd.) JOHNSON, STANLEY C. Medals of Our Fighting Men. 1916. (A. & C. Black, Ltd.) MAYO, J. H. Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy. Two vols. 1897. (A work reproducing most of the actual warrants and other documents affecting the issue of medals. Illustrated in colour.) (Constable.) Medals and Ribbons of the British Army. A coloured plate, 27 J by 1 8$ inches, giving the medals and ribbons of the British Army. (Gale & Polden, Ltd.) 3" 312 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR MILFORD HAVEN, ADMIRAL, THE MARQUIS OF. British Naval Medals. (John Murray. 1919.) PARRY, D. H. The V.C. Its Heroes and Their Valour. (Cassell & Co., Ltd.) SIMON, T. Medals, Coins, Great Seals. Impressions from the Works of T. Simon, 1648-65. (Published in 1753. Contains much of an antiquarian interest.) STEWARD, W. AUGUSTUS. War Medals and Their Histories. 1915. (Stanley Paul & Co.) TANCRED, G. Historical Record of Medals Conferred on the British Navy, Army, and Auxiliary Forces. 1891. (Spink & Son.) WHALLEY, J. L. Gold War Medals. 1888. WHITAKER'S Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage. (Contains a useful guide to British Orders. Published at intervals.) (Whi taker.) WILKINS, PHILIP A. A History of the Victoria Cross. (Complete until the year 1914.) (Constable.) 200 Ribbons of Naval, Military, R.A.F., and Civil Decorations. (The Daily Telegraph series. A large coloured chart.) (" Geo- graphia," Ltd.) (Price Lists are issued occasionally by Messrs. Spink & Son, Piccadilly, London, and Messrs. A. H. Baldwin, Duncannon St., Charing Cross, London, which, whilst serving as advertisements, are of much use and interest to collectors.) APPENDIX I ORDER IN WHICH DECORATIONS ARE WORN The following list gives the order in which British Service Officers and Men are required to wear their medals and ribbons : Victoria Cross. Order of the Garter. Order of the Thistle. Order of St. Patrick. Order of the Bath. Order of Merit (immediately after Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath). Order of the Star of India. Order of St. Michael and St. George. Order of the Indian Empire. Order of the Crown of India. Royal Victorian Order (Classes I., II., and III.). Order of the British Empire (Classes I., II., and III.). Order of the Companions of Honour (immediately after Knights and Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire). Distinguished Service Order. Royal Victorian Order (Class IV.). Order of the British Empire (Class IV.). Imperial Service Order. Royal Victorian Order (Class V.). Order of the British Empire (Class V.). Royal Red Cross (Class I.). Distinguished Service Cross (Naval). Military Cross. Distinguished Flying Cross. Air Force Cross. Royal Red Cross (Class II.). Order of British India. Indian Order of Merit (Military). Kaisir-I-Hind Medal. Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England. 313 314 THE MEDAL COLLECTOR Albert Medal. Medal for Distinguished Conduct in the Field (Military) Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Naval). Distinguished Service Medal (Naval). Military Medal. Distinguished Flying Medal. Air Force Medal. War Medals (in Order of Date). Arctic Medal, 1815-1855. Arctic Medal, 1876. Antarctic Medal, 1901-1903. Constabulary Medal (Ireland). Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea. Indian Order of Merit (Civil). Edward Medal. Indian Distinguished Service Medal. King's Police Medal. Queen Victoria's Jubilee Medal, 1887 (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). Queen Victoria's Police Jubilee Medal, 1887. Queen Victoria's Jubilee Medal, 1897 (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). Queen Victoria's Police Jubilee Medal, 1897. Queen Victoria's Commemoration Medal, 1900 (Ireland). King Edward's Coronation Medal. King Edward's Police Coronation Medal. King Edward's Durbar Medal (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). King Edward's Police Medal (Scotland). King's Medal, 1903 (Ireland). King George's Coronation Medal. King George's Police Coronation Medal. King's Visit Police Commemoration Medal, 1911 (Ireland). King George's Durbar Medal (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Medal for Meritorious Service. Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army). Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army). Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Native Army). Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Native Army). Volunteer Officers' Decoration. Volunteer Long Service Medal. Volunteer Officers' Decoration (for India and the Colonies). Volunteer Long Service Medal (for India and the Colonies). Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration. Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal. APPENDIX 315 Medal for Good Shooting (Naval). Militia Long Service Medal. Imperial Yeomanry Long Service Medal. Territorial Force Efficiency Medal. Territorial Decoration. Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve. Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Royal Naval Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service Medal. Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal. Royal Victorian Medal (Gold and Silver). Imperial Service Medal. Medal of the Order of the British Empire. Medal of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England. Badge of the Order of the League of Mercy. Royal Victorian Medal (Bronze). Foreign Orders (in order of date of award). Foreign Decorations (in order of date of award). Foreign Medals (in order of date of award). APPENDIX II OFFICIAL ANALYSIS OF AWARDS BETWEEN 1914 AND IQ20 Between August, 1914, and February 4, 1920, 239,126 honours, exclusive of those conferred by the Royal Air Force, were awarded for services in the field, and 15,032 for other services in connection with the war, making in all a total of 254,158. This total is made up as follows : A. BRITISH FORCES Honours for services in the field . . . 228,864 Promotions for services in the field . . . 3810 Honours for services in connection with the war 13,299 Promotions for services in connection with the war . 1597 B. INDIAN FORCES Honours for services in the field . . . 6452 Honours for services in connection with the war 136 Total 254,158 The following is a summary of the honours conferred on British Forces : For Services in the Field. For Services in connection with the war. v.c. . 578 I* V.C. Bars 2 G.C.B 6 8 G.C.M.G 17 5 G.B.E., Military Division 5 K.C.B 124 34 K.C.M.G 143 54 K.B.E. (including D.B.E.) . 21 53 C.B 843 209 C.M.G 2136 523 C.B.E., Military Division 346 749 D.S.O 8970 21* D.S.O. Bars- First 75 Second .... 71 I* Third .... 7 * Air raids, coastal bombardments, etc. 316 APPENDIX 317 For Services in the Field. For services in connection with the war. O.B.E., Military Division M.B.E., Military Division B.E.O., Civil Division G.B.E. 3305 "53 2128 15" T o K.B.E. C.B.E. O.B.E. 29 Il6 M.B.E H R.R.C., First Class R.R.C. Bars M.C. 454 37 460 37 M.C. Bars- First T* Second Third .... R.R.C., Second Class . D.C.M 167 4 1492 I* 35^6 D.C.M. Bars- First Second .... M.M M.M. Bars First Second .... Third .... M.S.M M.S.M. Bar .... Medal B.E.O., Military Division . Medal B.E.O., Civil Division 469 9 "5.417 5784 1 80 I 21,762 4 H5 12* 2741 I 260 24 The total number of officers and men who passed through the British Army during the war was approximately 6,000,000. In the South African War, when the total number of troops in the field was 448,435, the number of honours conferred was as follows : V.C. . G.C.B. K.C.B. C.B. . G.C.M.G. K.C.M.G. C.M.G. D.S.O. D.C.M. * Vide, supra. 79 3 25 . . . 292 4 8 no "43 2050 (approximate) (approximate) (approximate) INDEX TO MEDALS M medal. D a decoration. B = badge. ABILITY and Good Conduc m. 254 Abyssinian m. 122 Afghan m. 93 Afghanistan m. 127 Africa G. Service m. 163 Air Force c. 237, 238 Air Force Long Service m 254 Air Force m. 237, 238 Albert m. 241 Aliwal m. 102 Ambulance m. 249 Antarctic m. 276 Arctic m. 276 Armada m. 6, 19, 20 Army Long Service m. 250, 252 Ashante m. 123, 137 Ashanti m. 160 Ashanti s. 142 BALTIC m. 116 Belgium Croix de Guerre, 294 Military c. 293 Military m. 293 Order of Crown, 292 Order of Leopold I. 291 Order of Leopold II. 292 Reine Elisabeth m. 294 Best Shot m. 258 Blake's m. 28 Board of Trade m. 275 Boulton's m. 34 Bourbon m. 45 British S. Africa Co.'s m. 139 British War m. 171, 173- 180 Burmese m. 49 CABUII m. 94 Canada m. 147 Candahar m. 93 Cape of G. H. m. 150 Central Africa m. 137, 138 Ceylon m. 42 Charles II., medals of, 29 China m. 100, 119, 161 Colonial Officers' d. 255 Conspicuous Gallantry in. 228 Coorg m. 50 Coronation m. 247, 248 JAMES I., m. of, 21 249 Java m. 47 Crimea m. 113, 115, 306 Jellalabad m. 91 Ciflloden m. 30 Jubilee m. 246, 247 DAVISON'S m. 33, 35 KABUL to Kandahar s. 128 Deccan m. 39 Kaffir War m. no, 126 Delhi Durbar m. 247 Kaisar-I-Hind d. 279 Diamond Jubilee m. 246-7 Kelat-I-Ghilzie m. 93 Disting. Conduct m. 231 Khedive's s. 131 Disting. Flying c. 235, 237 Kimberley s. 159 Disting. Flying m. 237 King's S. Africa m. 158 Disting. Service c. 226 Disting. Service m. 229 LA HOGUE m. 29 Dunbar m. 25 Life-Boat m. 272 Dutch m., Victories over, zi Liverpool Shipwreck m. 268 Lloyd's m. 272 EAST and Central Africa m 148 MAHARAJPOOR s. 99 East and West Africa m. Maida m. 35 135, 138 Mashonaland m. 139 East India Co.s m. 37-50 Matabeleland m. 139 Edward m. 279 Mauritius m. 45 Egyptian Bravery m. 295 Medici m. 5 Egypt m. 44, 129 Meeanee m. 95 Elizabethan m. 19 Mercantile Marine m. 173- 180 FEROZESHUHUR m. 102 Meritorious Service m. 233, Fire Brigade m. 249, 274 258 Forlorn- Hope m. 22 Meruisti m. 27 France Military c. 230 Croix de Guerre, 297 Military Gen. Service m. 57 Legion of Honour, 296 Military m. 232 Medaille Militaire, 297 Militia Long Service m. 255 Veterans' m. 298 Moodkee m. 102 Monck's m. 28 aHUZNEE m. 90, 93 jlorious ist June m. 31 Mysore m. 40 M'wele m. 136, 137 jreek Military c. 298 Sreek Military m. 298 Gwalior s. 98 ^ATAL m. 165 Naval General Service m. 73-88, 167 ioNG KONG Plague m. 244 Naval Good Shooting m. iowes 1 victory m. 31 258 iumane Society's (Royal) >Javal Long Service m. 253 m. 265 'laval Reserve awards, 257 Hyderabad m. 95 *Jepaul m. 47 >Jew Zealand c. 243 NDIA m. 106, 109, 141, 165 >Iew Zealand m. 121 ndian Mutiny m. 117 vfiger Co.'s (Royal) m. 149 reland, Visit to, m. 247 We m. 33, 45 ron Cross, 302 s T orth Borneo m. 151 Italian Croce di Guerra, 299 North West Canada m. 133 318 INDEX 319 OBILIICH m. 308 Overseas Disting. Conduct m. 243 PENINSULAR awards, 51-62 Peninsular circular m. 52 Peninsular gold c. 54 Police m. 248, 274 Portuguese gold c. 61 Portuguese Officers' c. 62 Punjab m. 38, 103 Punniar s. 99 QUEEN'S S. Africa m. 153 REGIMENTAL m. 261-264 Rhodesia m. 139 Robert's s. 128 Rodriguez m. 45 Royal Red c. 239 R.S.P.C.A. m. 271 Rundum m. 153 SCINDE m. 95 Seringapatam m. 39, 42 Sobraon m. 102 South Africa m. no, 125, 137 Special Constabulary m. 275 Special Reserve L.S. m. 257 Stanhope m. 268 Sudan m. 143, 145, 166 Sultan Fouad s. 295 United States awards eontd. Nicaraguan b. 289 Sutlej m. 101 TEMBUNAN m. 153 Philippine m. and b. 288 Spanish Campaign b. 287 Special Merit, b. 286 Territorial awards, 180, 257, West Indies m. 285 259 Territorial War m. 180 VICTORIA Cross, 201-221 Tibet m. 164 Victory m. 173-180 Trafalgar m. 34 Vittoria d. 62 Transport m. 280 Volunteer Long Service m. Turkish s. 309 255 Volunteer m. 262-4 UNION of S. Africa Comm, Volunteer Officers' d. 254 m. 249 United States awards WATERLOO awards, 63-72 China badge, 288 Brunswick m. 71 Civil War b. 286 Campaign m. 63 Cuba b. 288 French m. 71 D.S.C. 283 Hanoverian m. 70 D.S.M. 284 Pistrucci's m. 68 Haitian b. 289 Welch m. 22 Honor m. 282 William and Mary, m. of, 29 Indian Wars b. 287 Wyard m. 27 Manila Bay m. 285 Marine Good Conduct m. YEOMANRY Long Service m. 289 257 Meritorious b. 285 Mexican b. 289 ZULU War m. 125 Naval Good Conduct m. 1914 Star, 269 289 1914-15 Star, 170 INDEX TO BARS ABU HAMED, 146 Abu Klea, 131 Afghan Campaign, 166 Africa G.S. bars, 163 Ahmed Khel, 128 Albuera, 60 Alexandria, 131 Ali Musjid, 128 Allighur, 107 Alma, 114 Argaum, 107 Assaye, 107, 109 Asseerghur, 107 Atbara, 146 Atwot, 167 Ava, 107, 108, 109 Azoff, 114 BADAJOZ, 60 Bahr-el-Ghazel, 146 Barrosa, 60 Basutoland, 151 Bechuanaland, 151 Benevente, 60 Benin River, 136 Bhootan, no Bhurtpoer, 107, 109 Brass River, 136 Burma, no Busaco, 60 CANTON, 120 Central Africa, 137, 138 Central India, 118, 119 Charasia, 128 Chateauguay, 60 Chilian wala, 105 China, 120 Chin Hills, no Chin Lushai, no Chitral, 141 Chrystler's Farm, 60 Ciudad Rodrigo, 60, 61 Coomassie, 125, 137 Corunna, 60 Corygaum, 107, 109 DARFUR, 167 Dawkita, 136 Defence of Legations, 162 Deig, 107 Delhi, 107, 109, 118, 119 EGYPT, 59 El Teb, 131 FASHER, 167 Fatshan, 120 Fenian Raid, 148 Firket, 146 Fort Detroit, 60 Fuentes d'Onor, 60 GAMBIA, 136 Gawilghur, 107, 109 Gedaref, 146 Gedid, 146 Gemaizah, 131 Goojerat, 105 Guadaloupe, 60 Gyantse, 165 HAFIR, 146 Hazara, no INKERMAN, 114 JAVA, 60 Jerok, 146 Jowaki, no Juba River, 135 KABUL, 128 Kachin Hills, no Kandahar, 128 Khartoum, 146 Kirbekan, 13 Kirkee, 107, 108 Kordofan, 167 Kumassi, 160 LAKE Nyassa, 135 Laswarree, 107, 109 Lau Nuer, 167 Liwondi, 135 Looshai, no Lubwa's, 149 320 INDEX Lucknow, 118, 119 PEGU, no Suakiu, 131 Lushai, no Peiwar Kotal, 128 Sudan, 146, 167 Pekin, 120, 162 MAHEIDPOOR, 107, 108, 109 Perak, no TAKU Forts, 120, 162 Maida, 59 Persian Gulf, 169 Talavera, 60 Malakand, 141 enUa N.W. Frontier, no Tamaai, 131 Martinique, 60 Poona, 107, 108 Tel-el- Kebir, 131 Mongalla, 167 Punitive Expedition, 151 Tirah, 141 Mooltan, 105 Punjab Frontier, 141 Tofrek, 131 Pyrenees, 60, 61 Toski, 131 NAGA, no Toulouse, 60, 61 Nagpoor, 107, 108 Naval Gen. Service bars, RED River, 148 Roleia, 60 Transkei, 151 XT 74 ~ 8 , 8 UGANDA, 149 Nepaul, 107, 108 Niger, 136 SAHAGUN, 60, 61 Umbeyla, no Nigeria, 149 Nile, 131 Nive, 60, 61 Njvelle, 60 St. Sebastian, 60 Salamanca, 60 Samana, no, 141 Saskatchewan, 134 V.C. bar, 218 Vimiera, 60 Vittoria, 60 North East Frontier, no Sebastopol, 114 North West Frontier, 166 Seetabuldee, 107, 108 WAZIRISTAN, no, 142 Nyam-Nyam, 147 1 Sierre Leone, 136 Witu, 135 bikkim, no ORTHES, 60 S. Africa medal bars, 154-9 ZERAP, 167 INDEX TO ORDERS OF CHIVALRY BATH, 186 Legion of Honour, 296 , St. Maurice and St. Lazarus,, British Empire, 193 British India, 197 Leopold, 291 299 Leopold II. 292 St. Michael and St. George, 190 COMPANIONS of Honour, 195 MEDJIDIE, 308 St. Patrick, 185 Crown, 292, 300, 302 Merit (British), 188 St. Sava, 306 Crown of India, 192 (Indian, 197 St. Stanislas, 305 St. Vladimir, 306 DOORANEE, 90' NILE, 294 Savoy, 299 D.S.O. 193, 223 Star of India, 189 OSMANIEH, 308 GARTER, 182 THISTLE, 184 RISING Sun, 301 Tower and Sword, 301 IMPERIAL Service, 196 Indian Empire, 191 ST. ANDREW, 305 VICTORIA and Albert, 200 Indian O. of Merit, 197 St. Anne, 305 Victorian, 192 St. George, 303 LEAGUE of Mercy, 199 St. John of Jerusalem, 198 , WHITE Eagle, 307 MISCELLANEOUS INDEX BARS, defined, 9 PISANO, ANTONIO, 5 SIMON, THOMAS, 28 Pistrucci, 68 FLAXMAN, 69 Forged medals, 7 WEARING of Decorations REGIMENTS engaged in S. 3U McMittAN, WM., 171 African War, 155 Wyon, T., 66 University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. JAN 1 5 199Z : u OCTlTti* QCT 1 1 20M' an DC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A 000102638 4 A HERBERT JENKINST BOOK