15929705970001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141548170534539851317053297510001705345377037fitz-onlineadlib-object-141548https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/14154899111346-3873-3642-9349-4178bc37da9b7referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsPeace-keeping operations in the British possessions in Africa, as anywhere else, required a large number of small campaigns, several of which, from 1892 until 1900, were considered to merit this medal, which in terms of design is a continuation of the Ashantee Medal. Eligible recipients of that medal were therefore awarded only extra clasps.
The coastal strip of what is now Kenya was in the 1880s part of a territory of the Sultan of Zanzibar known as Zanj. Its extent was settled by German and British treaty in 1886, but in 1890 the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty saw German interests in the area ceded wholly to Britain, and Zanzibar became a British protectorate that year. The Zanj was thereafter subsumed into the administration of British East Africa, which would later become modern Kenya.
Until the opening of rail links, trade in this area had to be carried out by caravan, which was frequently subject to raiding by tribes from further inland. One such tribe was that of Chief Rashid of M'wele, and a quantity of British forces were occupied in suppressing his efforts between 1895 and 1896.
The medal for this campaign is almost unique among British campaign medals as, although it is of the regular East & West Africa type, no bar was issued. Instead the campaign's identity was engraved at the top of the rim. This makes the medal impossible to distinguish from the Ashantee Medal when worn.
This medal was awarded to Sepoy Samandar Khan of the 24th Bombay Infantry. Lester Watson purchased the medal at some point before 1928.CM.1454-20091accession numberCM.1454-2009141548priref141548Watson Catalogue377orderingM-0337previous object numberLW.0337urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141548https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141548Bust of Victoria facing left with veilobverseVICTORIA REGINAdesignScene of bush fighting around tree with fallen African to forereversedesignreferenceagent-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 2005-2009190019001900mintreferenceagent-149658adlib-agent-1496584cb81521-c6ef-3826-8224-de2a104139c5Londonartistreferenceagent-147914adlib-agent-1479145137dfbe-da76-3132-b042-fd9281d2df44Wyon, Leonard Charlesartistreferenceagent-110251adlib-agent-11025181ce1385-fb88-3ebe-94da-ef5a6dba80dcPoynter, Edward Johnrulerreferenceagent-151398adlib-agent-151398bb2cd0a1-0a27-3787-a684-475d3b199972Victoria (1837-1901)with the title ofrulerreferenceagent-174943adlib-agent-1749439c2be08c-ce74-3f9c-b796-3c936a5088e0Victoria reginareferenceterm-106216adlib-term-106216825b8379-ec94-388e-9a59-624e40c090d0Londonreferenceterm-39778adlib-term-397788bd60ed6-968d-3faf-8ad5-b4e4ee9bb245silverDiametermm36.3Weightg34.7referencemedia-116647adlib-media-11664703fd070d-65e7-3652-939a-7cdee91f8eb7jpegcm/cm15/LW_0337_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13716162388615831imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0337_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13716162388615831imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0337_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13716162388615831imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0337_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13716162388615831image0media
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imagereferenceterm-123074adlib-term-123074e638791f-6b24-35cc-9e65-cb789721ff18East and West Africa Medal (1887-1900)denominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-107681adlib-term-107681e80da827-45c6-3b71-a3ef-28794a05e4a8Britainsubsubseriesreferenceterm-122717adlib-term-122717140af9ad-d215-34d9-9d42-52ecb5d3feadBritish Armysubsubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt before 1928referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum365-366, 371referencepublication-5892adlib-publication-58921ad25efa-815c-3604-8564-8e568865b843British Battles and Medals 1st ednreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-123074adlib-term-123074e638791f-6b24-35cc-9e65-cb789721ff18East and West Africa Medal (1887-1900)East and West Africa Medal (1887-1900)referenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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