Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Peking Siege Commemoration Medal 1900, obv. the Ch’ien Men engulfed in flames, in the exergue a cannon, ‘junii xx - augusti xiv’, rev. Britannia and Germania standing facing, clasping hands, a Chinese female standing behind; below a dragon, ‘mene. mene. tekel. upharsin.’ (Jno. Walter Richardson), 57mm., bronze, in J. Tayler Foot, London case of issue, the lid inscribed, ‘Peking Siege 1900. J. W. Richardson’, ref. B.H.M. 3672, E.1842, extremely fine and rare £1000-1200

The Peking Siege Commemoration Medal is a most interesting piece and rarely encountered. They were struck at the instigation of Mr Arthur D. Brent, an employee of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, who was himself present throughout the siege and whose medals were sold in these rooms on 25 February 1998. A limited number only were struck for those actually present at the siege.

Jonathan Walter Richardson was an Officer in the Chinese Customs Department. He was actively engaged in the defence of the Legations, being slightly wounded in the shoulder on 23 June 1900 - the Custom’s men being sent to assist the Japanese in defending the Su Wang Fu Palace to the east of the British Legation.