United Kingdom. A Bengal Presidency Best Shot Native Troops Magdala Award Medal

Item #GB7682

$246

In silver, obverse illustrating Britannia in flowing robes, her right arm extended and holding a wreath of laurel leaves, her left holding a flag, with an oval shield at her feet, the background with a group of soldiers in a field in front of a mountain at the left, with a group of trees at the right, surrounded by the inscription "PRIZE PRESENTED BY THE RIGHT HON.BLE LORD NAPIER OF MAGDALA. C.G.B, G.C.S.I.", reverse with a blank, un-named, surrounded by the inscription "BEST SHOT NATIVE TROOPS BENGAL PRESIDENCY", measuring 47 mm (w) x 53.5 mm (h) inclusive of its laterally-pierced ball suspension, mounted to a swivel suspension with ribbon, edge nicks, contact marks on both sides, near very fine.

 

Footnote: Field Marshal Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala GCB GCSI FRS (December 6, 1810 - January 14, 1890) was a British Indian Army officer. He fought in the First Anglo-Sikh War and the Second Anglo-Sikh War before seeing action as chief engineer during the second relief of Lucknow in March 1858 during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He also served in the Second Opium War as commander of the 2nd division of the expeditionary force which took part in the Battle of Taku Forts, the surrender of Peking's Anting Gate and the entry to Peking in 1860. He subsequently led the punitive expedition to Abyssinia July 1867, defeating the Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia with minimal loss of life among his own forces and rescuing the hostages of Tewodros.