Guest Darrell Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Another "Victorian" era medal ... however, not really associated directly with Queen Victoria. This was an unofficial Medal awarded to the defenders of Kimberley against the Boer Forces by the mayor and council. A six pointed silver star with small balls at the end of each point and a raised circular centre which has the inscription 'KIMBERLEY 1899-1900' and the Kimberley town shield. The reverse is flat and has the inscription 'MAYOR'S SIEGE MEDAL 1900'. The ornate suspender is sewn directly to the ribbon and attached to the star by a small metal ring. The top edge of the ribbon has a silver clasp. The ribbon is 1" wide with a black left stripe, yellow right stripe and three narrower equal stripes of red, white and blue in the centre. The Kimberley Star was awarded by the Town Council and therefore is not an official award and cannot be worn on the uniform with official campaign medals. Approximately 5,000 stars were awarded. There is no roll of recipients. The announcement of the Kimberley Medal (as it was called) is from the Illustrated London News, 15 June 1901. Two Kimberley Stars were struck in gold. The reverse of the medal has the silver hallmarks of Birmingham (anchor and lion) and the letter "a". These were issued with a top clasp and pin. However this one has been lost to time. Obverse: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Darrell Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Suspender Closeup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Darrell Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Obverse Closeup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Darrell Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Kimberley Reverse: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Darrell Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Reverse Closeup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Another "Victorian" era medal ... however, not really associated directly with Queen Victoria. This was an unofficial Medal awarded to the defenders of Kimberley against the Boer Forces by the mayor and council. A six pointed silver star with small balls at the end of each point and a raised circular centre which has the inscription 'KIMBERLEY 1899-1900' and the Kimberley town shield. The reverse is flat and has the inscription 'MAYOR'S SIEGE MEDAL 1900'. The ornate suspender is sewn directly to the ribbon and attached to the star by a small metal ring. The top edge of the ribbon has a silver clasp. The ribbon is 1" wide with a black left stripe, yellow right stripe and three narrower equal stripes of red, white and blue in the centre. The Kimberley Star was awarded by the Town Council and therefore is not an official award and cannot be worn on the uniform with official campaign medals. Approximately 5,000 stars were awarded. There is no roll of recipients. The announcement of the Kimberley Medal (as it was called) is from the Illustrated London News, 15 June 1901. Two Kimberley Stars were struck in gold. The reverse of the medal has the silver hallmarks of Birmingham (anchor and lion) and the letter "a". These were issued with a top clasp and pin. However this one has been lost to time. Obverse: Does anyone know to whom the two gold stars were awarded? H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Darrell Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Does anyone know to whom the two gold stars were awarded? H Why sure 1. Mayor H.A. Oliver JP and; 2. Mr. Archibald of DeBeers Co. These differ slightly as they were produced by a jeweler in Kimberley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Why sure 1. Mayor H.A. Oliver JP and; 2. Mr. Archibald of DeBeers Co. These differ slightly as they were produced by a jeweler in Kimberley. I had absolutely no doubt that I'd get a prompt answer on this. What an array of talent we have! Thanks, Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Hendey Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Darrell Although this was an unofficial medal it was almost invariably worn with official medals, at least by South African veterans (i.e. most of the men who qualified). I wonder if any reader knows if, for example, men of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment added this medal to their groups? Regards Brett 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Hi, just a little more info. on the medal manufacture, medal is a two part construction, the disc on the obverse been seperately made from the star and then attached, as such, both parts had to be marked with the England sterling mark (lion passant), the obverse disc has the England sterling mark (lion passant) just above the shield, you'll need a loop to see it clearly. Geoff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QSAMIKE Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Gentlemen...... I wish I had a photo of it but there was an official top bar for this medal...... Same sort of thing like the DSO with a pin....... Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Gentlemen...... I wish I had a photo of it but there was an official top bar for this medal...... Same sort of thing like the DSO with a pin....... Mike Sorry, don't have the top bar on mine either. Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 With top bar: Geoff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter monahan Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Quite a classy looking piece, if I may say so. I remember thinking that the first time I saw one and haven't changed that view in the 30 years since. Now if only I'd bought it back then! To quote a friends Ukranian babushka, "To soon old, too late smart." Peter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mervyn Mitton Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I don't think anyone has mentioned the hallmark - other than Geoff pointing out that both parts were marked. The mint was the Birmingham one - the anchor. The year of manufacture was 1900 and that is the small 'a' - however, they had to make more as further people came forward and these later ones have a 'b' for 1901. 1900 usually sell for more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgdad Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Hi there, An "old" collector but just joined this Forum. Some comments. A photograph of the group with the gold star to Mayor Oliver appears in Hibbards Book on Tribute medals. Pity the medal order in the photograph is wrong. Bill's book also includes good close-up photographs of the two gold medals, the card which accompanied the medal, and a full length photograph of Oliver in his Mayoral regalia. Oliver's star was manufactured by the Kimberley jeweller W.A.Rayner who himself earned the CGHGS medal bar Bechunanaland, QSA bar DoK as No 59 private with the Kimberley Vol, Rifles and the standard Mayor's Kimberley Star. The mayor's group is now in the McGregor Museum in Kimberley. The standard silver star was struck in Birmingham by Darby and Sons and is known with the "a", "b", "c" and "d" mintmarks. It was issued in white cardboard boxes with the makers name printed on the lid - at least 2 different boxes are known, Presentation stars, (identical to the standard issue) were issued in plush hinged black boxes with gold lettering on the lid (also by Darby and Sons". It is known that such boxes were issued to Sir David Harris, Mayor Henderson who was Mayor before Oliver and Sir Thomas Smartt. Mayor Oliver's Star was also presented in a similar case. The second gold star engraved to Mr Archibald was seemingly not made by Rayner (It has no mintmark and the standard of workmanship is inferior). Miniature gold Kimberley Stars sometimes surface. The story goes that these were given to the members of the working crew who make the gun Long Cecil in the De Beers workshops. Presumanbly they did not attest for service as were they hard at work! - and accordingly did not get the standard silver star. Archibald was the Manager in charge of the De Beers workshop and I presume that this explains the award given to him. The standard star exists in several die varieties - for both obverse and reverse. Some are very "concave" and some very "convex" in shape particularly on the obverse while most are in between. I believe that one of the reasons for the general issue of the Star rather than perhaps the earlier supressed circular medal is the reduced amount, and therefore the cost of silver necessary for it's manufacture which was funded by Mayor Oliver. The Star adds a nice touch to add to any Defence of Kimberley QSA medal. It reminds us just how advanced this small town was in the far distant Cape Colony at that time. The first town inthe southern hemisphere to have street lights and the place where the first rugby football game was played with 'linemen" or "touch judges"! RobM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QSAMIKE Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Good Information Rob...... Thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mervyn Mitton Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Rob - welcome to GMIC. I agree with Mike - an insightful post with some good info.. We shall look forward to you joining us more often. Mervyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leninde Posted November 4, 2021 Share Posted November 4, 2021 (edited) On 07/11/2011 at 13:58, Mervyn Mitton said: I don't think anyone has mentioned the hallmark - other than Geoff pointing out that both parts were marked. The mint was the Birmingham one - the anchor. The year of manufacture was 1900 and that is the small 'a' - however, they had to make more as further people came forward and these later ones have a 'b' for 1901. 1900 usually sell for more. Hi Mervyn.. I see there are some of these medals with a 'c' hallmark as well.. so they were made in 1902? ooo.. just noticed robgdad and his posting about the 'c' and 'd' hallmarks.. so 1902 & 1903? Edited November 4, 2021 by leninde added more info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azyeoman Posted November 5, 2021 Share Posted November 5, 2021 One of my favorite medals. Here’s one that graces my collection. A confirmed one clasp Defence of Kimberely QSA, with two clasp KSA and Kimberley Star named to 399 Pte. W. Weir, Kimberley Volunteer Regiment. There were 307 one clasp DOKs awarded to the regiment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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