15929636460001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141525170534540052117053297460001705345378257fitz-onlineadlib-object-141525https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141525ae696903-8424-31b8-afc5-1703d80b09f97referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsOne of the principal opponents to the rise of the power of the British East India Company's influence in India was the Kingdom of Mysore, centred on the eponymous city in southern India. The first military clash between the powers led Mysore to seek French aid, and the French East India Company was glad to have an ally against the more successful British Company. This alliance however tended to involve Mysore in the eighteenth-century wars between France and Britain without necessarily supporting Mysore when that kingdom came up against the British.
The military rise of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte renewed this opposition in 1798 as Napoleon invaded Egypt in an attempt to cut off the British Empire's eastern possessions, and Tipu Sultan's Mysore readily joined the attack. The rapid defeat of the Egyptian campaign left Mysore in an awkward position, as Lord Arthur Wellesley had mustered forces that Mysore could not hope to resist. The key to the campaign was the capture of the capital Sriringapatnam in May 1799, in which attack Tipu Sultan was killed. After this Mysore was rapidly placed under British suzerainty.
The East India Company issued this medal to their troops who had taken part in the siege and capture of Tipu Sultan's capital, in various metals for different ranks. The medal was made in small numbers in India but the bulk of the issue was done at the Soho mint in Birmingham, and this silver example came from there. The medal was issued unnamed, and the recipient, one of 850 of pieces in this metal, is therefore unknown. Lester Watson purchased this example from the dealer Lowe at some point before 1928.CM.1431-20091accession numberCM.1431-2009141525priref141525Watson Catalogue343orderingM-0314previous object numberLW.0314urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141525https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141525Lion and tiger locked in combatobverseIV MAY MDCCXCIXdesignSiege party entering breached walls of a fortressreversedesignreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumGiven by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009referenceagent-206432adlib-agent-206432e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afbWatson, Lester200920092009givenon loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-2009180818081808mintreferenceagent-151458adlib-agent-151458eaf43d27-c4d5-3357-b79a-b169ccbb73ecBirminghamissuerreferenceagent-167567adlib-agent-1675675ce1f666-30e0-383b-bee5-fff00c8b2f38East India Companyartistreferenceagent-174952adlib-agent-174952d9437671-6dd1-332a-81eb-531e73c57366Küchler, Conrad Heinrichinferredrulerreferenceagent-51006adlib-agent-5100696512349-0740-3b52-b3d9-08460e8d9530George III (1760-1820)referenceterm-107687adlib-term-10768761b7b4a0-65d8-3856-9253-f53f17d65f43Birminghamreferenceterm-39778adlib-term-397788bd60ed6-968d-3faf-8ad5-b4e4ee9bb245silverDiametermm48.2Weightg45.88referencemedia-116601adlib-media-11660169edb80d-77b2-36fd-ad2f-8b7421e12ba6jpegcm/cm15/LW_0314_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels35316162587952691imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0314_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels35316162587952691imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0314_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels35316162587952691imagejpegcm/cm15/preview_LW_0314_281_29.jpg1heightpixels258widthpixels25016162587952691image0media
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imagereferenceterm-123048adlib-term-123048880fd9b4-1619-308b-ac18-cef7f520e320Seringapatam Medal (English)denominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-107681adlib-term-107681e80da827-45c6-3b71-a3ef-28794a05e4a8Britainsubsubseriesreferenceterm-122773adlib-term-122773db85fdc9-9911-3752-9e56-d49f13af43b7East India Co.subsubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Lowe before 1928referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum30-31referencepublication-5886adlib-publication-5886a6056c29-399c-38dd-9710-5b3f2d44b8a6British Battles and Medals 7th ednreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-123048adlib-term-123048880fd9b4-1619-308b-ac18-cef7f520e320Seringapatam Medal (English)Seringapatam Medal (English)referenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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