TOPIC:

The two types of the medal most commonly encountered. Note the lack of detail/hatching in the flags and fields of the Transvaal arms on the first example. The medals consist of a core made from three tin discs [formerly believed to be cardboard], covered with two thin die-struck copper sheets, which are joined at the rim.
Obverse: portrait of Kruger, Z.A.R. arms and two allegorical female figures, with the words "LIBERTE / PROSPERITE / VAILLANCE / PERSEVERANCE". Reverse: view of St Helena, with the words "TER GEDACHTENIS AAN DE BOEREN KRYGSGEVANGENEN / ST HELENA 1900". 46mm diameter.



The St Helena P.O.W. medal (Herne 298; Laidlaw 0209) has, until now, been attributed to French volunteer Jean Louis Lefranc [or Le Franc]. This attribution is based on a note that accompanied an example that was presented to President Kruger by Mr Raoul Martin, and which is now in the collection of the National Museum of Cultural History / Kruger Museum, Pretoria. This medal is of the type without hatching.

The note, dated Marseilles 17 November 1900, reads: “Medaille offerte a Son Excellence Monsieur le President Kruger par Mr Raoul Martin, ex combatant pour l’indépendence du Transvaal, fait prisonnier à Boschof (5 Avril 1900) et détenu à St Hélène à Deadwood-camp. Cette médaille a été coulée par Mr J.L. Lefranc, ex lieutenant de Spahis, prisonnier de guerre à St Hélène” (Smith 1958, p. 136; Esterhuysen 1973, p. 33).

However, the existence of a carved wooden box, containing examples of the medallion, together with the original dies and supporting photographs, seems to contradict this attribution. This group is named, and belonged to one of Lefranc’s compatriots. Therefore, if Lefranc was involved in the production of the medals, he does not, on the face of it, appear to have been the artisan who actually made them. However, it should be stressed that it remains possible that Lefranc cut the dies and sold them on, a scenario which could account for the addition of the hatched detail. The example presented to Kruger with the Lefranc attribution is without hatching, while the dies and medals in the box have this feature. The discovery of the dies in their final state proves that the type with hatching represents the later version of the medal. [N.B. See my additional thoughts regarding the identity of the maker(s) HERE]

Inside the fitted box, a silver plaque indicates that the identity of the metalworker who struck the accompanying medals and badges was a compatriot of Lefranc’s, named Charle Nicolet.

The box, typical of St Helena work, contains two examples of the medallion (unusually, in white metal rather than copper), five cast badges, and the six dies used to make these pieces.

The engraving on the plaque reads “C. NICOLET / KRYGSGEVANGENE / ST HELENA / 1900 1902”.

[Ed. I am now firmly of the belief that Charle Nicolet could not have been the maker of the original dies. The design of the medals, and in particular, the portrait of Kruger, falls so far short of the workmanship of Nicolet’s badges (some of which are marked), that I do not believe they could be by the same hand].


The carved wooden box, containing the medals and badges, together with the dies used to make them. The section with the silver plaque lifts out to reveal a number of small metalworking tools.








Together with the box, which remains in the Nicolet family, is a small archive of photographs. Four of these are of Charle, with one showing him sitting next to a table, on which a display of his work has been set out. On show are examples of the medals, various badges, a belt buckle, and the dies themselves.

In another photograph, Charle can be seen wearing one of the belt buckles.



Charle Nicolet standing in the doorway of his hut / workshop, Deadwood Camp, St Helena. He is wearing one of his belt buckles (see example below). Could the seated individual be one of Charle's French compatriots, J.L. Lefranc or Raoul Martin? Martin was captured with Nicolet at Boshof.





Charle Nicolet photographed with the tools of his trade and a selection of his work. The dies can be seen resting on black stands, held in place with bone battens (similar to those used in the box). The group includes examples of the St Helena Medal, along with various badges and a belt buckle (centre front).









The fact that Charle Nicolet made badges as well as medals casts light on a number of silver and brass POW pieces I have in my collection. Since 2005 I have known that the maker of these items had the initials CN. A silver napkin ring that I purchased back then has the silversmith’s mark “CN. BOER / KRYGSGEVANG / ST HELENA 1901” into an oval.

The maker of the napkin ring used a unique combined coat of arms, which incorporates elements from the insignia of both Boer republics. When I purchased a belt buckle a few years later, I immediately noticed that it carried this same design. And a similar badge surfaced a year after that. Although the badge and buckle were unmarked, I was sure all these items came from the same workshop. This belief was confirmed when I heard from Robin Woodruff that he had one of the badges with the “CN. BOER / KRYGSGEVANG / ST HELENA 1901” stamp to its reverse.

Despite knowing the initials of the metalworker, his name eluded me until I was alerted to the existence of the Nicolet box.

The box, itself, carries the same combined ZAR/OVS coat of arms, so was probably made by Charle as well.

Charle Nicolet was one of Villebois-Mareuil’s French Volunteers, and was present at the Battle of Boshof, where he was taken prisoner. The family story is that he somehow escaped from St Helena and made his way back home. However, I have been unable to find any evidence for this, with most historians only mentioning five or six failed attempts. The fact that the silver plaque is engraved with the dates 1900-1902 suggests to me that he was on the island until the end of the war.




One of Charle Nicolet’s silver napkin rings, with silversmith’s mark “CN. BOER / KRYGSGEVANG / ST HELENA 1901”. Engraved: "Made by P.o.W. / St Helena 1902 / FROM WILLIE TO MOTHER". The small combined ZAR / OVS coat of arms is the same as the two examples fixed to the inside of the lid of the box (on either side of the shield).






Examples of the belt buckle and one of the badges. The badge in the box is made of white metal rather than brass. Robin Woodruff has one of these in his collection with the “CN” maker’s mark on the back plate. See Owen 1990, where this badge is described as "Z.A.R. brass cap badge worn pre 1902" (#1990)







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Neville,

What a fantastic, well-documented and complete artefact from St Helena.

Neville, thanks for a superb write up on these medals, I think the box could have been a in-camp purchase from a fellow prisoner. The below example seems to have been made by the same person. Same hinges, no lock.

Everhard,

My feeling is that the box was carved by Charle Nicolet himself.
My reason for believing this is that it carries Nicolet's "unique" combined coat of arms, incorporating elements from the insignia of both Boer republics, which is found on his badges, napkin rings and belt buckles. I assume this design was used so as to appeal to all P.O.W's on the island, thus boosting revenue from sales.

The fact that the St Helena Medal does not use this motif lends weight to the idea that the dies for the medallion were originally created by someone other than Nicolet. Taking the Kruger Museum note into account, this would bring Jean Louis Lefranc back into the frame. It might also be relevant that the few marked pieces from Nicolet's output are dated 1901 and 1902, whereas the first striking of the medal predates 17 November 1900 (the date of the Marseilles note).

It is noteworthy that the design of the medal is much cruder than that of the badges. This is particularly evident in the two Kruger portraits (see below). The difference in the quality of the work is so marked that I personally believe it highly unlikely that both were created by the same artist.

The more I think about this, the more I subscribe to the idea that the St Helena POW Medal dies were originally cut by Lefranc, during the Autumn of 1900. At this time the first 1900 issue was struck with “smooth” coats of arms (without hatching and flag detail). It was one of these medals that was presented to President Kruger in November of that year.
Assuming the above to be correct, the dies would have been acquired by Nicolet sometime after November 1900. Unhappy with the quality of Lefranc’s design, the more experienced metalworker then added the hatching and other fine detail. Note that the direction of the hatching on the medals is identical to that found on Nicolet’s badges.
We know the dies remained in Nicolet’s hands until his release, so it seems likely medallions continued to be struck throughout 1901 and into the beginning of 1902. However, without a date for the transfer of the dies from Lefranc to Nicolet, we cannot ascertain a timeframe for the production of the two issues.















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Two of the tools in the box are steel punches, used by Charle Nicolet to mark his wares.

The first die reads "C.N. PoW", and the second "ST HELENA". The few stamped pieces that I have seen have a different, more elaborate maker's mark (“CN. BOER / KRYGSGEVANG / ST HELENA 1901”).













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Werner Lamprecht has kindly provided these photographs which show how the St Helena medals were constructed. Instead of cardboard, as was normally used for medals of this type, three tin discs fill the void inside the copper shell.
Due to water ingress through the seam holding the two faces together, in this instance the discs have become heavily corroded.

The second photograph is of the back of one of the die-struck copper faces (obverse). It shows small punch marks, where the copper appears to have been hammered into the die to pick up the finer detail. This method of working is similar to that seen on the backs of Charle Nicolet's badges.











The back of one of Charle Nicolet's badges, showing tool marks similar to those seen on the reverse of the die-struck copper face of the medal. I have counted nearly 240 visible punch marks on this badge, and there will be many more under the central disc. Clearly a lot of effort went into the striking of each piece. The artisan would also have needed exceptional eyesight. The dimensions of the head of the tool he used were only 2 x 1 mm, and each successive punch was placed neatly along side the one preceding it.



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