Empress of India Medal - unnamed as awarded in Garrard & Co. case of issue.
The ‘Empress of India’ medal was unusual in several respects. It was very large – at 58mm diameter – and was intended to be worn around the neck, like the badge of an Order. Awards were made in both gold and silver, the former now very rare and conferred on the highest ranking members of the Indian government and civil service and (more particularly) on Indian rulers – princes, maharajahs, rajahs etc. – as another attempt to cement their loyalties to the British crown.
Obverse
Silver awards were made very sparingly and there is, regrettably, no surviving roll of recipients. They were awarded to civilians and to officers and men from various Indian regiments and to British regiments which were on duty at the Durbar. In general, about half a dozen were awarded per battalion – typically (but not inevitably) to the Commanding Officer, the Adjutant, the senior NCO, the longest-serving Private and other military recipients selected for ‘services rendered’ or some special contribution to the event. About six per regiment seems to have been common.
Reverse
The medals were suspended from a plain swivelling bar suspension and carried a wide ribbon (42mm) of burgundy with narrow yellow edges. They were issued unnamed – and commonly seen in this form – but are also found privately engraved to their recipient and are much more sought after as collectors pieces in this form or as part of a larger, named group of medals and awards.
The medal bore on its obverse a fine veiled profile of Queen Victoria with the simple legend ‘Victoria 1st January 1877’; the reverse carried an elegantly calligraphic inscription ‘Empress of India’ in English, Urdu and Sanskrit within a decorative zig-zag border.
Medal is in good condition unless otherwise indicated.
