Punjab and Sutlej Campaign Medals

I was responding to a query the other day from somebody whose relative had died in India in the early 1850s and who had probably served during the Punjab and Sutlej campaigns with the 29th Regiment of Foot.

The Sutlej Campaign Medal and The Punjab Campaign Medal make a very nice pair that would grace any collection (and certainly don't grace my own yet).  DNW sold a pair to a 29th Foot man in 2002 for £800 and he'd got a clasp for Sobraon on his Sutlej medal and Chilianwala and Goojerat on his Punjab medal.

The pair illustrated above show the same entitlement as those awarded to the 29th Foot man but these were awarded to Captain E A C D'Oyly of the Bengal Horse Artillery and were sold by DNW at auction for £4800 in June 2005.  You can read more about Captain D'Oyly on the DNW site.  Image courtesy of Dix Noonan Webb.

Sutlej Campaign Medal

Instituted:
17th April 1846.

Qualification:
Awarded to Those who took part in the actions of the Sutlej Campaign in India between December 1845 and February 1846.

Description:
Silver, 36mm diameter, with an ornamental swivelling suspender. The obverse portrays the diademed of Queen Victoria with the legend VICTORIA REGINA. The reverse depicts the standing figure of Victory facing left. She holds a laurel wreath in her outstretched right hand, and an olive branch in her right. A collection of trophies is gathered at her feet.

There were four different exergues which contain one of the following:

1. MOODKEE 1845
2. FEROZESHUHUR 1845
3. ALIWAL 1846
4. SOBRAON 1846

Recipents were awarded that version of the medal whose exergue contained the name of the first action they had taken part in.

Ribbon:
32mm wide; dark blue with crimson edges.

Naming:
Indented in capital letters or light roman lettering.

Clasps:
There was no clasp issued for the Moodkee action of 18th December 1845. However, clasps were issued for each of the other actions mentioned in the different medal exergues as follows:

1. Ferozeshehur
Awarded for the action of 21st and 22nd December 1845.

2. Aliwal
Awarded for the action 28th January 1846.

3. Sobraon
Awarded for the action of Sobraon on 10th February 1846.

Acknowledgements:
The photograph is taken from the Spink & Son July 2009 auction catalogue whilst British Battles and Medals has been invaluable in putting together the information.