A Choice Collection of Medals and Other Items Relating to The Defence of Kimberley

Mayor of Kimberley’s Medal 1899-1900, silver, unnamed as issued, lacquered, good very fine £700-900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Choice Collection of Medals and Other Items Relating to The Defence of Kimberley.

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Boer War Tribute Medals, by M. G. Hibbard, states: ‘Soon after the lifting of the siege the civic authorities began looking around for a means of commemorating a defence that had taxed the minds and abilities of all those bottled up by the Boers. It is believed that the first medal to be commissioned was a circular Kimberley Medal. It was struck in 1900, presumably in England, and it is interesting to note that of all the silver commemorative medals struck at this time, it is one of the few that carries no hallmark or manufacturer’s initials (another notable exception is the Yorkshire Imperial Yeomanry Medal). The design chosen for the reverse included the Imperial crown and Royal monogram VRI and it has been suggested that the medal was suppressed because no official sanction for the use of this had been given.

Another reason suggested for the withdrawal of the medal is that the date of the investment is shown as 15 October 1899, instead of 14 October 1899, but it is hardly valid as the wrong date could easily have been changed by the die-sinker. It is not known how many of the circular Kimberley Medals were struck but a few have managed to escape the melting pot. Those which have survived are much prized in the hands of lucky collectors.’