Queen's South Africa Medal
Full Size / Miniature

Awarded for the second Anglo Boer war of 1899-1902, the first versions of this medal had the dates 1899-1900 raised on the reverse. Once it was realised the war was to continue, these dates were filled in and consequently they appear as 'ghost dates' on the reverse of some medals. A later die was then made with the dates removed completely but Britannia's hand on the reverse was pointed to the F in Africa rather than the R on earlier versions.

26 clasps were awarded but a maximum of nine (plus the two date bars) were awarded to the Army and eight to the Navy. The clasps are awarded in a specified order and will be assembled accordingly.

Nurses were awarded the medal without clasp regardless of whether their service would have qualified them for any. Invariably these medals were erased (probably returned medals) and then issued to the nurses.