Date
Instituted: 1854.
Campaign: South Africa 1834-53.
Description: The obverse of this medal bears the head of Queen Victoria
with the inscription 'VICTORIA REGINA' while the reverse depicts
a crouching lion drinking from a waterhole in front of a protea
bush with the words 'SOUTH AFRICA' above and the date '1853' below.
The swivelling suspender is of the ornate scroll type.
Metal: Silver.
Size: 36mm.
Clasps: None authorised for this medal.
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Naming: Impressed
in the style of the Military General Service Medal.
Comments: Awarded in 1854 for three campaigns fought in South Africa
between 1834-35, 1846-47 and 1850-53. Since no clasps were authorised
it is impossible to tell which campaign the medal was awarded for
without resort to a medal roll.
Recipients who later qualified for the South Africa Medal (1877-79) were supposed to receive the dated clasps only which would then be fixed to this medal. However no provision was made for those who qualified for the later medal without clasp.
It
has been said the later South Africa Medal 1877-79 should have a brighter yellow-orange ribbon while the 1834-53 medal has a paler
or biscuit shaded ribbon. According to colour prints in Carter's 'Medals of the British Army' published in 1861 this appears to be incorrect
(and this mistake is probably due to the fading of the ribbon in sunlight) and both
medals should in fact have the brighter ribbon. Despite this replacement ribbons manufactured since 1885 have been made in both shades. Current modern ribbons therefore reflect this.
Most of these medals were issued to Army personnel but a small number also went to the Royal Navy and native troops. Those awarded to the next of kin of troops who perished during the sinking of the troopship Birkenhead command a premium.
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