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I purchased this from Baldwin's last week. It came with a Spink absent minded beggar medallion which clearly was not the original content of the box. The indentation in the silk lining fits a victorian shilling coin exactly and I have included an 1899 shilling in the photo.


I have never seen one of these boxes before and I presume they were presented to the CIV volunteers with the shillings in situ at the ceremony of enrolling the volunteers held at the Guildhall on January 1st 1900 and described in the City Press souvenir of the CIV published at the time. The box is well made and similar in materials and production to the box of the CIV tribute medal.



Colour Sergeant P Rust was a member of the 20th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers (Artists Rifles) and is in the photo below taken from The Transvaal in War and Peace by Neville Edwards.



He is on the CIV medal roll entitled to QSA with clasps Johannesberg, Diamond Hill, Cape Colony and Orange Free State. I am unable to trace any service papers as is usual for the CIV. A seach of the WW1 medal index cards shows a P Rust in the 28th London Regiment, part of the Artists Rifles, who went to France in 1914 as Company Sergeant Major and was subsequently commissioned during the war and awarded a military MBE. Sadly I cannot trace his papers either but strongly suspect this is the same man.

It seems P Rust did survive WW1 and attended a CIV reunion dinner in 1926. By chance I have identified his signature on the menu kept by another CIV man. This doesn't prove the link between the CIV Rust and the WW1 Artists Rifles Rust, but at least it is possible.

A pair of fantastic finds and a great addition......

Mike

Congratulations on a great acquisition, and an excellent post.
Regards
Brett

WOW And Double WOW, I once owned Sgt Rusts Full Group. I will look it up and see what it contained and I may still have a photo of him about.
BP

Found my notes on Sgt Rust's Medals. They were a mounted group consisting of 1st type Military OBE, QSA with previously noted four Clasps marked 2 Sgt P. Rust, C.I.V. (wreath to R type), 1914 Star with Aug-Nov Clasp, to 241 C. S. March P. Rust, 1/28 Lond. R., WM to 241 W. O. Cl. 1 P. Rust 28/Lond R, Victory the same, L.S.in V.F., EDVII Rex Imp to 6502 C. Sgt P.. Rust, 20/Middx: V.R.C. And TD, GR V and with a Mint condo cased C.I.V. Tribute Medallion from City of London. I think I acquired it from a south of England Dealer by a frantic trans Atlantic tele call in the mid 80's. It was sold as best I recall to an English Collector. Not sure who.
I will look some more for the photo and other notes.
BP