United Kingdom. A Baltic & Ashantee Medals, to Petty Officer First Class T.J. Upton, H.M.S. Druid

Item #M0547-2

$421

United Kingdom. A Baltic & Ashantee Medals, to Petty Officer First Class T.J. Upton, H.M.S. Druid

Baltic Medal 1854-1855; and Ashantee Medal 1873-1874 (T.J. UPTON. Py. OFFr. 1.CL: H.M.S. DRUID. 73-74.). Naming is engraved in large capitals on the AM, the BM in unnamed as issued. Both medals are in silver and exhibit bruising and edge nicks, along with contact marks overall. Mounted to a suspension with swing bar pinback, replacement ribbons, fine. Accompanied by: (i) the lightly soiled original ribbons for both medals in a cotton satchel, (ii) along with a Pair of Royal Navy First Class Petty Officer Shoulder Epaulettes: the uppers composed of three rows of thatched gold-coloured bullion wire, the rows in a braided pattern, the reverse of both in black wool, with black cotton straps with a single eyelet, measuring 37 mm (w) x 155 mm (h) each. 
 
Footnote: Petty Officer First Class T.J. Upton's ship, the H.M.S. Druid, was laid down in 1868 and launched on March 13, 1869 in the presence of Princess Louise and Prince Arthur. She was completed in February 1872 and was the last ship to be built at Deptford Dockyard. The ship was initially assigned to the Cape of Good Hope Station, commanded by Captain the Honorable Maurice Nelson, where she remained for two years before being transferred to the North America and West Indies Station. 
 
In regards to the Dutch Gold Coast (AKA Dutch Guinea) in Africa, the ongoing conflicts in the Netherlands made the call for the transfer of the entire colony to Britain to become ever louder. The Dutch governor of Elmina, Cornelis Nagtglas, tried to persuade the Elminese to relinquish their city to the British. This was of course complicated by the presence of an Ashanti army in the town. In February of that year, a treaty had been signed with the United Kingdom, under which terms the whole colony was to be ceded for a sum of 46,939.62 Dutch guilders. On April 6, 1872, after ratification of the treaty by parliament, Elmina was formally handed over to Britain.


As was to be expected, the Ashanti were less pleased by the handover of Elmina to the Fante-allied British. Ashanti king Kofi Karikari posited that the "Elmina Note", which governed the tribute paid by the Dutch to the Ashanti, asserted Ashanti sovereignty over the town. In June 1873, the situation escalated when an Ashanti army marched to Elmina to "win back" the town from Britain. The Third Anglo-Ashanti War had started, and Britain began bombing Elmina on June 13, 1873, with H.M.S. Druid participating in the bombardment. The old town of Elmina was completely destroyed and leveled to make room for a parade ground.