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Indian General Service Medal (1854-95): CM.1260-2009

An image of Indian General Service Medal (1854-95)

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Mint: London
Ruler: Victoria (1837-1901)
Artist: Wyon, Leonard Charles
Ruler: Victoria regina (With the title of)

Entities

Categories

Description

The Army of India Medal's issue in 1849 having marked the previous half-century's combats in the region, further conflicts in the 1850s led in 1854 to the design and issue of a General Service Medal for the theatre, for which bars would be issued as each new campaign merited.
British India met Afghanistan at the North-West Frontier. Since British influence over Afghanistan competed with the Burmese kingdom of Ava and Russia, the region beyond the frontier, composed of a large number of more-or-less independent tribal statelets, was of great importance to British interests and required continual suppression by `punitive expeditions'. For the lesser ones of these the North West Frontier bar was awarded in 1869, but some expeditions were thought to merit individual bars. One such was that of the Umbeyla Expedition in 1863 by the Yusafzai Field Force, sent to quell a rising by the Pathan Bunerwal tribe in combination with Hindustani Muslim extremists. The extremists' fort at Malka was destroyed but not without fierce Bunerwal resistance.
A memorial to those killed in the campaign still stands in the Umbeyla pass, including 22 men of the 101st Bengal Fusiliers, in whose ranks also served Private W. Small, whose medal this is. Lester Watson acquired it at some point before 1928.

Notes

History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, acquired before 1928

Legal notes

Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 36.3 mm
Weight: 39.5 g

Place(s) associated

  • London

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (2009) by Watson, Lester

Dating

1869 - 1895

Materials used in production

Silver

Techniques used in production

Struck

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Bust of Victoria facing left

  • Text: VICTORIA REGINA
  • Location: Obverse
  • Type: Design

Inscription present: Victory crowning seated Classical warrior with laurel wreath

  • Location: Reverse
  • Type: Design

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: CM.1260-2009
Primary reference Number: 141354
Watson Catalogue: 161
Ordering: M-0143
Previous object number: LW.0143
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 15 January 2024 Last processed: Monday 15 January 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Coins and Medals

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Indian General Service Medal (1854-95)" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141354 Accessed: 2024-11-05 03:39:17

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141354 |title=Indian General Service Medal (1854-95) |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-05 03:39:17|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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