IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 141239 accession number: CM.1145-2009 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Monday 25 March 2024 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: 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. title: Ashanti Star NOTES ----- type: history note value: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt 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/141239 TECHNIQUES ---------- struck CATEGORIES ------ category: medal DATING ------ creation date: 1896 - 1896 creation date earliest: 1896 creation date latest: 1896 CREATORS -------- maker: Birmingham maker: Victoria (1837-1901) maker: Battenburg, Princess Henry of maker: queen DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Diameter units: mm value: 37.3 dimension: Weight units: g value: 21.12 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_0028_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 132 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0028_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 132 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0028_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 132 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0028_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 132 pixels surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0028_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 141 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0028_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 141 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0028_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 141 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0028_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 141 pixels