TOPIC:

Good Evening Everyone.......

I checked the officers medals that I have in my collection.......

2 Imperial Engraved
4 Imperial Impressed
8 Colonial (including Canadian) all Impressed

Mike

This is by no means an attempt to develop a "trend" with what is essentially a small sample group.

I took 20 of my Officers QSA's (excluding Doctors/Reverends/Surveyor Generals and other oddities) and here are the findings below:

- Engraved - 10
- Impressed - 10

So 50/50 at the moment but lets delve a bit deeper...

- Of the 10 ENGRAVED examples 5 are Imperial (Lincoln's; Royal Engineers; Army Service Corps; Royal Lancaster's and R.A.M.C.)
- The remaining 5 ENGRAVED medals are to Colonials (Bethune's M.I.; Prince Alfred Volunteer Guard M.I.; Southern Rhodesia Vols.; Natal Carbineers and Kaffrarian Rifles)

Of the 10 IMPRESSED medals all of them are to Colonials (Natal Police x3; Umvoti M.R.; Albany D.M.T.; Eastern Province Horse; Adelaide D.M.T.; East Griqualand Mounted Rifles; Cradock T.G.; Natal Medical Corps)

What can be concluded from the above? Not a lot.... if anything it serves to confirm that most, in my opinion, Colonial officers were issued with impressed medals especially the T.G's etc. whilst the medals to some Colonial Officers who were in "fighting" units had their medals engraved.

I'll be donning my suit of armour as protection from the barbs which are sure to head my way after such a sweeping assumption....

Regards

Rory

Interested members
Now that the mission is defined ................... out came the records:
(1) Capt. A.Cosgrove, Cape MR (engraved)
(2) Lt. A.J.Forbes, Rhod. Regt (impressed)
(3) Capt. D.Maxwell, DSO, Imp. LH (impressed)
(4) Lt. J.A.Picken, Tembuland MRC (impressed)
(5) Maj. F.W.Panzera, BSAP (engraved)
(6) Lt. H.G.Supple, Damant's H (engraved)

For contrast:
(a) Asst.Paymaster A.C.Bere, RN (engraved)
(b) Lt. W.B.Hodgson, AS.C (DofM) (engraved)
(c) Lt. W.Haire-Forster, Royal Irish Fus (impressed)
(d) Maj. W.H.Robinson, RGA (RofM) (engraved).

(Note: there is another - Tpr/Capt. Laing, DSO (impressed QSA to Natal Carbs and engraved KSA to Johannesburg MR. I have not looked to see which of the medals was issued first, or together).
Regards
IL.

Hello David,
Yes, quite simply that, if an engraver got the task, the particular recipient received an engraved medal, I would think it was rather more time consuming, therefore, more expensive, to engrave, rather than impress.
I have never really noted a pattern as such, but, I would certainly think there was a greater percentage of Imperial officers who received an engraved example, I certainly do not think it was an issue of a particular regiment/corps or, indeed, a point in time, after all, you might, on occasion, encounter a Colonial Officer who had an impressed QSA and an engraved KSA, or vice versa, the recipient may have the same rank and may have served in the same regiment/corps, or not.
I also really do not think it matters either, I would say that an engraved example is nicer, from a collecting point of view, but, it is important to bare in mind you are really buying the recipient, so as long as the naming on the medal/medals is original, then I would be happy.
Regards Frank

djb wrote: Frank,

Are you thinking the person at Woolwich chose whether to engrave or impress the officers' medals perhaps based on the work load for the engravers and impressers? This is a very plausible hypothesis.

If that was the case, we should start to see the pattern emerging as more examples are posted.

I will be really interested to see how this thread develops.

Kind regards
David

Frank,

I would agree with you that it is the authenticity of the medal that is paramount. That said, I am always more pleased with an engraved medal than an impressed medal to a colonial officer.

QSA (1) CC (Captain and Adjutant B. J. Bertenshaw, Frontier Mounted Rifles).

Engraved.

Dixons Autumn 1998. £100.