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Tibet Medal: CM.1484-2009

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Mint: London
Artist: Gillick, Ernest George
Artist: Saulles, George W. de
Ruler: Edward VII (1901-10)
Ruler: Edwardvs VII Kaisar-i-Hind (With the title of)

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Categories

Description

Tibet, on the frontier between the British possessions in India and the sphere of interest of expanding Russia, evoked the same kind of international political paranoia among British strategists as did the Indian North-West Frontier, and after a trade mission in 1903 had met with a hostile reception there a British expedition was sent that forced its way through to Lhasa, where new and more favourable trading arrangements were decided on in collaboration with the Chinese. Although the Dalai Lama of the time had fled to Mongolia at the British approach, the secular officials who agreed on the Treaty were able to confine the British to the city of Gyantse until 1944.
Some of the most vicious fighting on the British expedition was met with in and around Gyantse, and the bar that this medal bears acknowleges participation in that fighting, by Subadar Jangbir Rana, of the 8th Gurkha Rifles, to whom this medal was awarded. His exploits in this theatre also earnt him the Indian Order of Merit. It is one of four medals that were awarded to him that are now in the Watson Collection, including the Order of Merit; the others precede and follow. The medals are not attached to each other so although the Watson Collection catalogue considers them as Group 3 they have been treated separately here. Nonetheless, it was as a group that Lester Watson purchased them from the dealer Gifford, in 1928.

Notes

History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Gifford 1928

Legal notes

Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 36.8 mm
Weight: 44.65 g

Place(s) associated

  • London

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (2009) by Watson, Lester

Dating

Production date: AD 1905

Materials used in production

Silver

Techniques used in production

Struck

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Bust of Edward facing left

  • Text: EDWARDVS VII KAISAR-I-HIND
  • Location: Obverse
  • Type: Design

Inscription present: Fortress of Potala Lhassa atop mountain ridge

  • Location: Reverse
  • Type: Design

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: CM.1484-2009
Primary reference Number: 141580
Watson Catalogue: 369
Ordering: M-0369
Previous object number: LW.0361c
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Saturday 22 January 2022 Last processed: Tuesday 13 June 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Coins and Medals

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Tibet Medal" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141580 Accessed: 2024-11-25 06:30:56

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141580 |title=Tibet Medal |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-25 06:30:56|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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