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HC Deb 29 March 1900 vol 81 c686 686
§COLONEL LOCKWOOD (Essex, Epping) I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he will consider, before the conclusion of hostilities, the advisability of inviting competition for the design of a South African war medal previously to any such medal being issued to the country.
§MR. WYNDHAM Such a competition would have involved much delay. Designs have, in fact, been prepared and submitted to Her Majesty.

HC Deb 10 May 1900 vol 82 cc1239-40 1239
§GENERAL GOLDSWORTHY (Hammersmith) On behalf of the hon. and gallant Member for the Epping division of Essex I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can issue an open competition for the design of the South African War medal if this medal is designed under authority of the Mint.
* THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS, Birmingham, S.) In order to avoid complaints which have on some former occasions been made of delay in the preparation of medals, the authorities of the Mint were some time ago requested to submit designs to the Secretary of State for a South African medal. One of these designs has since been approved by Her Majesty, and the suggestion of the hon. and gallant Member for an open competition cannot therefore be adopted.
§LORD BALCARRES (Lancashire, Chorley) At whose orders was the instruction given to the Mint, the result of which has been to preclude the possibility of competition?
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* MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS The ordinary course is for the medals to be prepared by the authorities of the Mint, and the Secretary of State asked the Mint authorities to prepare the designs.
§MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E.) Whose designs were accepted?
* MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS I have-written to the Mint to ascertain that. I do not know the artist's name at the moment.

22 June 1900
LORD BALCARRES I wish to take this opportunity of drawing attention to the manner in which the designing of the South African war medal has been undertaken by the Mint. We have in this country a number of extremely brilliant medallists, among whom are Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Brock, and Mr. Frampton, who are capable of designing artistic war medals. But hitherto the bulk of the war medals have been more fit to be coachmen's buttons than displayed on the manly breasts of our soldiers. In the case of the medal for South Africa the authorities of the Mint, rather than allow it to be submitted to open competition, have hurried the work through with undue haste; and, without asserting that the modal will be badly done, I think that greater care should have been taken to ensure an entirely worthy production.
§*SIR M. HICKS BEACH I do not agree with the hon. Member that there has been hurry in the matter, so far as the authorities of the Mint are concerned. The arrangements for the issue of war medals rest with the War Office, and naturally the Secretary for War was anxious that measures should be taken as soon as possible for the designing and production of the South African medal. I do not think that anybody can fairly complain of the designs of the medals issued by the Mint. I do not profess to be a connoisseur, but I certainly think the recent Jubilee medal, for instance, was a medal of which no country need be ashamed. The new war medal is by 839 the same designer, and although I have not seen it I feel sure it will be found not to deserve condemnation.
§LORD BALCARRES Is it to be designed by the Mint, or by Mr. Brock?
§*SIR M. HICKS BEACH By the designer to the Mint.

HC Deb 18 July 1901 vol 97 cc829-30 829
§MR. H. J. WILSON (Yorkshire, W.R., Holmfirth) I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can say how many South African War medals were struck with the date 1899–1900 before February, 1901, how many have since been struck with the date 1899–1900, how many have been struck since February, 1901, without any date, and whether there is any precedent for striking war medals without a date.
§THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir M. HICKS BEACH,) Bristol, W. It rests with the Secretary for War, not with me, to advise as to the design and issue of war medals; but I may say that the number of medals struck with the date "1899–1900" before 1st February, 1901, was 177,000. The number of medals struck with the date after 1st of February was 50,000, but none of these were issued. They were re-struck at the Mint without a date, and are included in the number struck since the 1st of February without a date, which amount in all to 179,830. 830 There are many precedents for striking war medals without a date.