Victory's boxer nose

 

I've just picked up a Queen's Sudan and a Khedive's Sudan to an Indian soldier. The claw on the Queen's Sudan is a little loose and both medals show signs of having been polished over the years. Queen Victoria is a little rubbed - Her Majesty would not be amused - and Victory (above and below) looks as though she's run into a brick wall or done ten rounds in the ring with a boxing champion.

 

So the medals are far from perfect, but as far as I'm concerned, both are preferable to groups which have had their original ribbons removed and then been artfully court-mounted for display. Heaven forbid, there are plenty of medals on the market - and many in regimental collections for that matter - which have been lacquered.

The Queen's Sudan Medal is one of my favourites. Not only is the design is just wonderful, those heavily impressed capital letters along the edge of today's acquisition are works of art in their own right. Besides which, a bloody and battered nose for Victory after her encounter with the Fuzzy-wuzzies is absolutely spot on.



Medal prices to make you weep

I've just returned from a short business trip to Colwyn Bay.  When I travel, I like to sniff out the local secondhand and antiquarian booksellers and, if I'm able to, pick up a book as a memory of that trip.  I found a nice volume on Indian Regiments on a trip to Canterbury the other week, and yesterday visited the Bay Bookshop and came away with a second edition of E C Joslin's Standard Catalogue of British Orders Decorations and Medals (1972).  I recommend the shop if you happen to be in Colwyn Bay; nice people to chat with and a great military section.

You know that Joslin is going to be a depressing read when you read in his foreword, that "... we have experienced some remarkable figures at auction such as £3,500 for a fairly ordinary VC...".  What would he have thought of the Ted Kenna VC sale I wonder.

Anyway, back in 1972 your silver Queen's Sudan Medal would have been valued at £8 and a Khedive's Sudan medal at anything between £7 and £22.  Prices for medals with multiple clasps are not given.  These days you'd be lucky to get away with spending less than £500 on a Queen's Sudan and Khedive's Sudan.  As for the First World war medals, £2 might have got you a 'bare-arsed' 1914 Star, but you'd have had to pay double that for the same medal with the Mons clasp. 

I'm on the look-out now for the first (1969) edition of this book, plus subsequent editions.  I still rue the day, back in the days when I did not collect medals, that I sold a 1914 Star trio in my local market for £12.  Then again, that was some years ago and looking at Joslin's valuations, it probably wasn't such a bad deal (although that's one sale that I do regret).

Khedive's Sudan Medal

Instituted:
12th February 1897.

Qualification:
Awarded to officers and men who took part in battles and actions in the African Sudan between 1896 and 1908. The medal (under Army Order 48) was originally issued to commemorate the reconquest of the Dongola Province in 1896 and with the clasps "Firket" and "Hafir" This was later extended by subsequent army orders to cover actions up to 21st November 1908 (and with a further 13 clasps).

Description:
Silver and bronze 39mm diameter. The obverse bears the Arabic inscription "Abbas Hilmi the Second" and the year Islamic Calendar year (or Hijri Calendar year) "1314". The reverse shows a tablet inscribed in Arabic with "The Reconquest of the Sudan 1314" which supports a trophy of arms. Above this is an oval shield decorated with stars and crescents and behind this, lances and flags.

Ribbon:
Yellow (representing the desert) with a large blue band (representing the Nile) running through the centre.

Naming:
The medal was issued un-named although unofficially named examples are found in a number of different styles.

Clasps:
Fifteen clasps cover the period 1896 to 1908. Men entitled to any of the first six clasps noted below would also have qualified for the Queen's Sudan Medal.

1. Firket
Awarded to those military personnel who were serving at or to the south of Sarras between the 30th March and the 23rd September 1896 inclusive, and to those serving at Suakin between the same dates who took part in the operations south of Akasheh on the 7th June 1896.

2. Hafir
Awarded to those who took part in the operations south of Fareig on 19th September 1896.

3. Sudan 1897
Awarded to troops who had already been granted the medal and who served at and south of Kerma on the Nile or south of No. 6 Station on the Abu Hamed Railway between the 15th July and 6th November 1897.

4. Abu Hamed
There is quite a long list of qualifications for this clasp. Essentially, troops had to have taken part in the engagement at Abu Hamed on 7th August 1897 to receive it.

5. The Atbara
Awarded to those who took part in the battle at Atbara on the 8th April 1898.

6. Khartoum
Awarded to those who took part in the battle near Khartoum on 2nd September 1898.

7. Gedaref
Awarded to those who took part in the capture of Gedaref on the 22nd September 1898, and in the subsequent engagements in that neighbourhood.

8. Gedid
Awarded to those troops who took part in the action at Gedid (or its vicinity) on 22nd and 24th November 1899.

9. Sudan 1899
Awarded to those troops who served on the Blue and White Nile south of Khartoum during 1899.
10. Bahr El Ghazal 1900-1902
Awarded to those troops who took part in the policing operations in the Bahr El Ghazal Province under Sparkes Bey in 1900-1902.

11. Jerok
Awarded to all troops under the command of Miralai Gorringe Bey, CMG, DSO who took part in the operations against the slave raider Ibrahim Wad Mahmud at and around Gebel Jerok between 11th February 1904 and 3rd March 1904.

12. Nyam Nyam
Awarded to all troops under William Arthur Boulnois Bey (Governor of Bahr El Ghazal) who took part in the suppression of trouble in the Bahr El Ghazal Province between January and May 1905.

13. Talodi
Awarded to all troops under the command of Miralai O'Connell Bey who formed part of the garrison at Talodi between the 25th May and 12th June 1906 and who took part in the fighting at Teira on the 15th and 17th June 1906.

14. Katfia
Awarded to all troops who took part in the action of Katfia on the night of 1st/2nd May 1908.

15. Nyima
Awarded to all troops under the command of El Kaimakam Lempriere Bey who served at Dilling, or south and west of Dilling between the 1st and 21st November 1908.

Other:
A second Khedive's Sudan medal was issued in 1910 and clasps for that medal would eventually cover actions and engagements up until 1921.

Image:
Shows the reverse of the Khedive's Sudan Medal and is borrowed from the Dixons Medals website.