Commemorative, Historical and Art Medals

British Guiana, Faithful Service, 1814, an engraved silver award medal to a slave, open palm and oak wreath containing shield with cb [Colony Berbice] monogram, rev. named (From The Honble. Court of Policy of the Colony Berbice to The Negroe Alexander of Pln. No. 17 West sea Coast as an Acknowledgment of his Faithful Services to the Colony Berbice, Anno 1814), 80mm, 93.69g. Very fine and toned, with corded edge, integral suspension loop and attachment; an exceptional item £2,000-3,000

Provenance: SNC July-August 1975 (7219); bt F.S. Werner August 1975.

Berbice, a region named after the river that runs through it, was a Dutch colony from 1627 to 1814 when it was ceded to the United Kingdom, then in 1831 it merged with Essequibo and Demerara to form British Guiana. For a similar medal, ‘To The Negro February of Plan No 19 West sea Coast’ see Murdoch Collection, Sotheby 21 July 1903 (lot 990, illustrated, sold with its original chain). That catalogue states ‘There was a conspiracy amongst the black slaves to murder the whole of the white population. One faithful slave named February at the last moment exposed the whole conspiracy to the Government, and was rewarded by the Government of British Guiana, with the above medal and a sum of money. Now it seems there were at least two ‘faithful slaves’. The February medal has the oak and palm wreaths reversed