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Mint:
Birmingham
Ruler:
Victoria (1837-1901)
Artist:
Battenburg, Princess Henry of
Ruler:
queen
(With the title of)
The Ashanti Confederation, which had existed since 1695, was from 1888 ruled by King Prempeh I, who pursued a determined policy of independence while considerably expanding his empire. In 1896 however, Britain, alleging Ashanti cannibalism and human sacrifice, and under the pretext of recovering a debt that the previous ruler had incurred to the British twenty years before, sent forces into the Ashanti capital of Kumase, in modern-day Ghana. Prempeh, in order to avoid bloodshed, offered no resistance and allowed himself to be deposed. He was exiled by the British, but was allowed to return as a private citizen in 1924.
This star, which combines a four-pointed star with the cross of St Andrew and is struck from gun-metal, was awarded to the troops who took part in the 1896 expedition that took Kumase. It was reportedly designed by Princess Henry of Battenburg, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter Beatrice, whose husband Prince Henry of Battenburg died of illness contracted on this campaign.
It is unnamed, and the recipient therefore unknown. Lester Watson purchased it from the London dealer Spink at some point before 1928.
History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt before 1928
Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009
Diameter: 37.3 mm
Weight: 21.12 g
Method of acquisition: Given (2009) by Watson, Lester
Production date: AD 1896
Inscription present: Central crown with inscription around
Inscription present: Inscription
Accession number: CM.1145-2009
Primary reference Number: 141239
Watson Catalogue: 30
Ordering: M-0028
Previous object number: LW.0028
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Coins and Medals
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Ashanti Star" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141239 Accessed: 2024-12-25 04:45:45
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141239
|title=Ashanti Star
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-25 04:45:45|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-141239
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0028_281_29.jpg"
alt="Ashanti Star"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Ashanti Star</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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