1592964872000 1312637261000 Standard Record object-141488 1747245967993 1714401526000 1747245848565 adlib fitz-online adlib-object-141488 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141488 ca3e5aa2-e870-3768-bd73-7b36d1868cc5 11 reference term-42993 adlib-term-42993 93884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0 medal reference term-122711 adlib-term-122711 1db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557ab Lester Watson Collection Coins and Medals The institution of the Victoria Cross in 1856 as the supreme award of the British Empire for gallantry left members of the Colonial possession's armed forces at something of a disadvantage, as the new Cross was only issued to members of the Imperial services. In New Zealand, where the New Zealand Wars had been raging since 1840 as the Maori tribes of the islands resisted the take-over of their communal lands, this inequality provoked action on the part of the Governor-General, Sir George Bowen, who determined to issue a local equivalent to the VC. This was the New Zealand Cross, which was instituted in 1869, and in appearance is perhaps even more splendid than its British rival. Perhaps as much because of this aesthetic one-up-manship as any other reason, Bowen was criticised in the UK for usurping a royal prerogative, but Queen Victoria eventually ratified the award, and 23 awards were made in the period between 1869 and 1881. It was officially discontinued in 1910, when Colonial recipients were made eligible for the Victoria Cross. A new issue was instituted in 1999, but the original New Zealand Cross is thus an extremely rare medal which holds very high value for collectors. This example was awarded to Trooper Antonio Rodríguez de Sardinha, of the Taranaki Mounted Volunteers. Rodriguez was Portuguese, and went out to New Zealand on SS St Michael in 1851 with his sister Rita Mary and her husband Emmanuel de Castro. He died in spring 1905. His Cross was awarded, in the words of its citation, 'for noble and daring conduct assisting and carrying wounded men from the field under fire on several occasions, notably on the 2nd October 1863 at Poutoka and on 11th March 1864 at Kaitake, upon which latter occasion he was particularly mentioned in garrison orders after the engagement.' The Lester Watson Collection retains the original citation, and an MS note in the hand of Robert Day who purchased the Cross from Rodríguez's family soon after the Trooper's death. It came to form part of the Hamilton Smith Collection, in the auction of which, at the London house of Glendining, 21 July 1927, Lester Watson bought it; it was lot 982. 77 reference exhibition-1967 adlib-exhibition-1967 6984c1c2-8fb8-37f2-bc1e-13468b4a0475 Imagery of War CM.1394-2009 1 accession number CM.1394-2009 141488 priref 141488 Watson Catalogue 303 ordering M-0277 previous object number LW.0277 uri https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141488 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141488 Central boss with inscription around in gilt laurel wreath, four-armed Maltese-style cross with gilt star in lines on each arm, uppermost arm surmounted by gilt crown to which suspension attached obverse NEW ZEALAND design Recipient's unit in centre of boss with name around, lines to each arm of cross reverse ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ design reference agent-149638 adlib-agent-149638 7376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8 The Fitzwilliam Museum Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009 reference agent-206432 adlib-agent-206432 e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afb Watson, Lester 2009 2009 2009 given on loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-2009 1869 CE 1869 1869 state reference agent-174994 adlib-agent-174994 06a636bb-55ed-300e-aaf0-07f29e6cc1c0 New Zealand issuer reference agent-174995 adlib-agent-174995 69394069-c051-3cdb-94f7-df8cfa4719cc Bowen, George, Sir ruler reference agent-151398 adlib-agent-151398 bb2cd0a1-0a27-3787-a684-475d3b199972 Victoria (1837-1901) part gilt reference term-9097 adlib-term-9097 39455d30-a410-3281-99d6-4d8d92279b23 New Zealand reference term-39778 adlib-term-39778 8bd60ed6-968d-3faf-8ad5-b4e4ee9bb245 silver Diameter mm 38 Weight g 39.66 reference media-185691 adlib-media-185691 d229b997-59d3-36f1-9a69-cd401d8a8a15 jpeg cm/cm53/large_CM_1394_2009_281_29.jpg 1 height pixels 2587 width pixels 1024 1742596489087 1 image jpeg cm/cm53/mid_CM_1394_2009_281_29.jpg 1 height pixels 1263 width pixels 500 1742596489087 1 image jpeg cm/cm53/CM_1394_2009_281_29.jpg 1 height pixels 4806 width pixels 1902 1742596489087 1 image jpeg cm/cm53/preview_CM_1394_2009_281_29.jpg 1 height pixels 632 width pixels 250 1742596489087 1 image 0 media image reference media-185692 adlib-media-185692 4bf91e62-9125-3be3-81ad-580a6efc8873 jpeg cm/cm53/large_CM_1394_2009_282_29.jpg 1 height pixels 2510 width pixels 1024 1742596358521 1 image jpeg cm/cm53/mid_CM_1394_2009_282_29.jpg 1 height pixels 1225 width pixels 500 1742596358521 1 image jpeg cm/cm53/CM_1394_2009_282_29.jpg 1 height pixels 4794 width pixels 1956 1742596358521 1 image jpeg cm/cm53/preview_CM_1394_2009_282_29.jpg 1 height pixels 613 width pixels 250 1742596358521 1 image 1 media image reference media-1999163282 portfolio portfolio-media-1999163282 cd572ed7-40e4-3469-9407-b995f2d1ee60 jpeg portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/563/196/large_CM_1394_2009_1_201007_adn21_mas.jpg 1 height pixels 1297 width pixels 1024 1537140166000 1 image jpeg portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/563/196/mid_CM_1394_2009_1_201007_adn21_mas.jpg 1 height pixels 633 width pixels 500 1537140166000 1 image CM.1394-2009_1_201007_adn21_mas.tif 1537140166000 1 1 image jpeg portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/563/196/preview_CM_1394_2009_1_201007_adn21_mas.jpg 1 height pixels 317 width pixels 250 1537140166000 1 image pyramid tiff portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/563/196/CM_1394_2009_1_201007_adn21_mas.ptif 1 height pixels 5992 width pixels 4730 1537140166000 1 image 2 media image reference media-3177051993 portfolio portfolio-media-3177051993 7b10b743-1195-3cb1-b0ae-2422e02c8eb4 jpeg portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/563/204/large_CM_1394_2009_2_201007_adn21_mas.jpg 1 height pixels 1300 width pixels 1024 1537140171000 1 image jpeg portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/563/204/mid_CM_1394_2009_2_201007_adn21_mas.jpg 1 height pixels 635 width pixels 500 1537140171000 1 image CM.1394-2009_2_201007_adn21_mas.tif 1537140171000 1 1 image jpeg portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/563/204/preview_CM_1394_2009_2_201007_adn21_mas.jpg 1 height pixels 317 width pixels 250 1537140171000 1 image pyramid tiff portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/563/204/CM_1394_2009_2_201007_adn21_mas.ptif 1 height pixels 5949 width pixels 4686 1537140171000 1 image 3 media image reference term-123018 adlib-term-123018 c340aa78-f8ab-358e-ae07-7a354902ee79 New Zealand Cross denomination reference term-98222 adlib-term-98222 b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50e medals series reference term-108659 adlib-term-108659 cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2 Military subseries reference term-9097 adlib-term-9097 39455d30-a410-3281-99d6-4d8d92279b23 New Zealand subsubseries reference term-123017 adlib-term-123017 ed182d90-679e-35fc-8c03-5199ea39aebb New Zealand Defence Forces subsubsubseries history note Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Hamilton Smith auction (Glendining, 20-21 July 1927, lot 982) for £96; ex coll. Robert Day, Sotheby's sale 18.iv.1910, bt family of recipient spring 1905. reference agent-149638 adlib-agent-149638 7376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8 The Fitzwilliam Museum 106 reference publication-6481 adlib-publication-6481 61f1069f-835a-35ca-a5c2-f822e618f8bf Handbook of British and Foreign Orders, War Medals and Decorations Awarded to the Ar reference publication-5910 adlib-publication-5910 0d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9 British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)

reference term-123018 adlib-term-123018 c340aa78-f8ab-358e-ae07-7a354902ee79 New Zealand Cross

New Zealand Cross reference term-119622 adlib-term-119622 dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555 struck object OBJECT