IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 141389 accession number: CM.1295-2009 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Monday 15 January 2024 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: During the 1830s and 1840s several Dutch republics had been established outside the British Cape Colony in South Africa, among which were Transvaal and the Orange Free State, all now in modern South Africa. Transvaal was annexed briefly by the British but its independence re-established in the First Boer War. In the 1880s however the discovery of vast gold reserves in Transvaal brought large numbers of foreign settlers, largely British, across the border, and an attempted coup at the instigation of Cecil Rhodes in 1895. Military escalation followed, negotiations failed and the two Boer republics, convinced that the British intended annexation, declared war in the Cape Colony in October 1899. The immediate result was the siege of British troops in Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley, while field forces attempting to come to their relief were defeated in several open battles by Boer contingents. Kimberley, the first town to be relieved, could open its gates only in mid-February; Mafeking, famously, had to hold out until May. Once Kimberley had been relieved, its mayor, H. A. Oliver, decided to show the town's gratitude to the surviving defenders by issuing this star. Although it bears the crown and royal monogram, it is not an official award and could not be worn in uniform; the official award was a bar to the Queen's South Africa Medal. The result is that the Star, rarely worn, is usually in excellent condition, which has made it a frequent target of imitation. This example is unofficially engraved to Captain A. Ward, of the 21st Lancers. Lester Watson acquired it at some point before 1928. title: Defence of Kimberley Star NOTES ----- type: history note value: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, acquired before 1928 LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Coins and Medals collection: Lester Watson Collection creditline: Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009 STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141389 TECHNIQUES ---------- struck CATEGORIES ------ category: medal DATING ------ creation date: 1900 - 1902 creation date earliest: 1900 creation date latest: 1902 CREATORS -------- maker: Kimberley maker: Oliver, H. A. maker: South Africa DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Diameter units: mm value: 40.5 dimension: Weight units: g value: 17.52 EXHIBITIONS HISTORY ------------------- title: Imagery of War CITATIONS -------- British Battles and Medals 7th edn British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959) --- IMAGES surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0178_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 152 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0178_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 152 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0178_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 152 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0178_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 152 pixels surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0178_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 151 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0178_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 151 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0178_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 151 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0178_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 151 pixels