TOPIC:

Hello Brian,
I have seen and handled about fifty percent of those that were issued, they are not common medals and my point was simply that when you do the number crunching, with, for example, the Kimberley Town Guard, you do start to think about relative value.
The last I bought was Walter Thorne Adams, who lived at Cricket Street Kimberley and was employed by De Beers as a rigger in their construction works.
He married Helen Keating at the Anglican All Saints church in Beaconsfield on the 30th of June 1910, doubtless a very happy day and rather interestingly, died, whilst out rowing at Port Alfred in 1927.
He was, according to the Diamond Fields Advertiser, "Very well known and a highly respected man" in Kimberley.

Incidentally, to the best of my knowledge the De Beers Battery did not wear a distinctive shoulder title, the handsome DMB slouch hat badge was actually made in De Beers own workshops during the siege.
Also, suggest you now substitute the word "somebody" for the words "some people" moreover, please do excuse too the awful ribbon, these ultimately came from a Johannesburg collecter who had the best Kimberley collection that I have ever known to exist, he mounted all his collection in this way and I have just left items from it, as a mark of respect to him, also the star is a marriage from the same collection, for the photograph!
Kind regards Frank

Brianc wrote:

Frank Kelley wrote: Makes one wonder what a medal to De Beers Maxim Battery would be worth!

I know someone who has one

I have a shoulder title but would like the medal to go with it! When did these skyrocket? In the last few City Coins auctions I am sure they were par for most QSA's. I have a DFA QSA but he was one of a handful that never qualified for a DOK clasp. However his clasp combo is very rare to the unit. Will dig around and post a pic.

Brian

Hi Frank

Here is the Maxims shoulder title/badge, sheet brass. It came out of a Cape Town collection also a number of years back. Sorry about pic it is mounted with the rest of my shoulder titles behind glass.




Brian

Hello Brian,
Well I do have one of these, but, I have never associated it with the De Beers Battery or indeed the siege, a superb example you have there.
Regards Frank

Frank

Your DMB Slouch hat badge is the first such example I have ever seen, to be honest if I had seen one in a scratch box.... I too would not have associated it with the De Beer Maxims Battery!

Live and learn.

Brian

The late Bruce Cazel also had a De Beers Maxim Battery QSA if memory serves - I wonder how many are extant.

Weren't there something like 32 on the roll?

Regards

Rory

Hello Brian,
I was refering to the brass "Maxims" there were a number of units that did wear those.
I've always known De Beers Maxim Battery, wore DMB, the one I have came from Alic Milne who was a well known collector in Kimberley back in the 1960's and 70's, I believe he had at least two examples and he got them from there original owners.
He also had the Town Guard and Municipal Town Guard in his collection of all things Kimberley.
Kind regards Frank

Brianc wrote: Frank

Your DMB Slouch hat badge is the first such example I have ever seen, to be honest if I had seen one in a scratch box.... I too would not have associated it with the De Beer Maxims Battery!

Live and learn.

Brian