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Indian Order of Merit, 1st Class: CM.1284-2009

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Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Mint: Calcutta
Issuer: East India Company
State: United Kingdom

Entities

Categories

Description

The Indian Order of Merit, instituted by the Honourable East India Company in 1837, is the oldest award for gallantry of the British Empire. The Order had three classes until 1912, for which medals were awarded in silver, silver and gold and gold respectively, and promotion from one class to a higher was achieved by further acts of bravery.
The receipient of this medal must therefore have been awarded the Order's medal three times at some point between 1837 and 1912, when Indian troops were made eligible for the Victoria Cross thus displacing the original first class, but as the medals were issued unnamed, we do not know who the recipient was. Lester Watson purchased the medal from the London dealers Baldwin in 1927.

Notes

History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Baldwin 1927

Legal notes

Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 40.6 mm
Weight: 50.93 g

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

1837 - 1911

Materials used in production

Gold

Techniques used in production

Struck

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Blue boss with crossed swords in circle with lettering around, all in gilt; wreath around and eight star points

  • Text: REWARD OF VALOR
  • Location: Obverse
  • Type: Design

Inscription present: Eight-pointed star, plain save inscription

  • Text: 1st Class
  • Location: Reverse
  • Type: Design

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: CM.1284-2009
Primary reference Number: 141378
Watson Catalogue: 186
Ordering: M-0167
Previous object number: LW.0167

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 25 March 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 (2025) "Indian Order of Merit, 1st Class" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141378 Accessed: 2025-12-05 17:46:52

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141378 |title=Indian Order of Merit, 1st Class |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 17:46:52|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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