Coorg Medal

Instituted:
1837

Qualification:
Awarded by the Honourable East India Company to Coorg soldiers who remained loyal during the Canara uprising.

Description:
Issued in gold (44 examples) and silver (300); 50mm in diameter and of varying thicknesses.

Obverse:
A Coorg warrior with his knife raised aloft in his right hand and a musket in his left hand. The Canarese inscription around the edge translates as, A MARK OF FAVOUR GIVEN FOR LOYALTY TO THE COMPANY'S GOVERNMENT IN SUPPRESSING REBELLION IN THE MONTHS OF APRIL AND MAY 1837.

Reverse:
Knives and war trophies within a laurel wreath and the inscription, FOR DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT AND LOYALTY TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. In the exergue, COORG, APRIL 1837.

Ribbon:
There was no ribbon. Medals awarded to officers were suspended from chains, those to other ranks from cord. The swivelling suspension and ribbon buckle in the example above were obviously added later (along with the ribbon).

Suspension:
A plain loop as illustrated at the top of this post.

Naming:
Issued unnamed.

Clasps:
None issued.

Acknowledgements:
Dix Noonan Webb for the two images from past auction sales; British Battles and Medals for the background.

Imperial British East Africa Company Medal

Qualification:
Initially awarded for bravery and later, after the company ceased to exist, claims made on the basis of campaign service.

Description:
The Imperial British East Africa Company received its charter in September 1888 and was wound up in October 1895. The following campaigns were in the company's jurisdiction:

1. Campaign against the sultan of Witu (1890)
2. Uganda Religious War 1891-92
The medal is 40mm, made of silver and extremely scarce. There are only 29 confirmed medals and post 1895 authorisations.

Obverse:
The company's arms of a crowned sun and ascroll underneath with the motto, LIGHT AND LIBERTY. The Arabic inscription beneath that translates as 'The Reward of Bravery'. Around the outer edge, the name of the company: THE IMPERIAL BRITISH EAST AFRICA COMPANY.

Reverse:
Plain, except for a lotus flower wreath.

Ribbon:
Plain blue

Suspension:
A plain ring suspender (above) or a swivelling scroll suspender (below).

Naming:
Engraved on the edge or the reverse.

Clasps:
None issued.

Acknowledgements:
Dix Noonan Webb for the two images from past auction sales; British Battles and Medals for the background. 

Seringapatam medal

Qualification:
Awarded to men who contributed to the British victory in the 1799 Battle of Seringapatam against the armies of Tipu Sultan. The medal was commissioned by the East India Company in 1801 but the Company's officers di not receive Royal sanction to wear the medal until 1815, whilst officers of the British Army did not receive permission until 1851.

Description:
Minted in gold, silver-gilt, silver, bronze and pewter. The majority of the medals were struck at the Soho Mint in Birmingham but some inferior Calcutta strikings of the gold medal (83 examples) and silver medal (2,786 examples) were minted in 1808 and awarded to native officers (gold medals) and native other ranks (silver). This went against the guidance for the issue of medals from the English mint.

English medals were 48mm in diameter whilst the Calcutta medals were 45mm in diameter. The two strikings also differ in that the English version carries the designer's initials CHK above and to the right of the exergue (see above detail from a gold medal) whilst the Calcutta version has the initials in the wrong order - CKH - and the letter K reversed (see silver medal example below).

Obverse:
The British lion triumphing over Tipu Sultan's tiger. The Arabic inscription in the pennant translates as The Victorious Lion of God. The date given in the exergue is IV MAY MDCCXCIX

Reverse:
A scene of the attack on the fortress of Seringapatam. The Persian inscription underneath translates as Seringapatam God given 28th day of the month Zikadah, 1213 of the Hegira.

Ribbon:
Pale watered orange, 38mm wide, but also commonly seen with the same ribbon as that used for the Peninsular Gold Medal.

Suspension:
Issued without suspension but found with various types subsequently added.

Naming:
Issued un-named, although some later engraved by the recipients.

Clasps:
None, although some medals have clasps added which bear the text, SERINGAPATAM.

Acknowledgements Dix Noonan Webb for information from past auction sales and the images which I have reproduced on this post.

42nd Foot Medal

Qualification:
Awarded to men of the 42nd Regiment of Foot who served during the Peninsula Campaign.

Description:
Silver, 32mm. Commissioned by the regiment and minted in 1819 by Parkes of Dublin. Obverse: in the upper section - St. Andrew with his cross, legend above, "Nemo me Impune Lacessit", in the lower section, British soldiers marching through mountainous country. Reverse: the winged figure of Fame above the battle honours, "Corunna, Fuentes d’Onor, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula"; in a rectangle below, "42 R.H. Rt."

Ribbon:
38mm wide, crimson, edged in dark blue.

Suspension:
Medals with hinged silver straight bar suspension and scrolled suspension have previously been auctioned by Dix Noonan Webb.

Naming:
Various rank / name /regiment combinations have been noted. Details impressed along the edge.

Clasps:
None.

Acknowledgements
Dix Noonan Webb for information from past auction sales and the image which I have reproduced on this post.