British South Africa Medal in Parts

[NBolinger]

Picked this medal up today, the rim is engraved but looks like it was reengraved or someone tryed to reengrave the name that was on it? The ribbon has a neat buckle and a 1879 bar, whats the buckle for on the top of the ribbon, i cant find any others with the same thing? Is this worth sending to the the jewler? Thanks for any advise i can get.

[NBolinger]

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[NBolinger]

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[NBolinger]

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[Marc Sherriff]

The buckle was at one time the method by which all medals were worn on a daily basis, this was later changed to a pin attachment that could not be seen. If it was mine I would have it repaired, but that is me.

Marc

[redline09]

i dont think a repair would add much to the value of the medal but its still nice for display.

(going by some auction houses, they tend to list repaired & renamed victorian medals at £60-80 )

[peter monahan]

Before the buckles were used, many medals were sewn directly to the tunic and long serving NCOs in particular would purchase a second set so as to have two tunics ready to wear at all times [probably a working one and a dress one]. Further, since it was illegal to sell one's medals - and there was at least one ex-soldier charged in the 1870s - the second set were sometimes name erased or renamed to match the name of the man who bought them.

Other reasons for re-naming include; spelling errors; men switching units or ranks and wanting all their medals to match; men who were technically disqualified from receiving a medal to which they thought they were entitled; over-eager descendants who had lost grandad's gongs, and [occasionally] an attempt to decieve.

Having said all that, its a lovely medal! The reverse is one of my favourites among British medals and the medal generally represents some serious soldiering! Nice find, damaged or no.

Peter