Original British WWI Named Medal Lot For Sapper J. C. Weekes Royal Engineers With 1902 Coronation Medal – 3 Items Original Items

Original Items: Only One Lot of 3 Available. Now this is a rare opportunity! There are 2 genuine British medals which happen to be engraved to the same soldier! The third item in this grouping is a gorgeous cased 1902 Coronation medal, a fantastic trio of items.

During the 17th and 18th centuries the service of the ordinary British soldier was simply rewarded with a state pension. During this time, due to the suffering and actions of the soldiers on both sides during the English civil war, public opinion of soldiers was quite low. Usually, only the most desperate volunteered for military service and in some cases it was the only alternative to a prison sentence. Public opinion of the British Army slowly began to change after the Napoleonic Wars (1799 to 1815) due to the heroic actions of soldiers and their officers. However, during this time, medals were only given to highly promoted officers and members of the aristocracy for their services.

The first British Army medal awarded to ordinary soldiers was the Waterloo Medal, issued around 1816-17. This was given to every individual British soldier who could prove that they were present during the campaign against Napoleon in which the British Army, alongside their Dutch and German allies, suffered horrific loss and suffering whilst performing feats of heroism. The medal was unique as not only was it the first of its kind but each soldier or officer who received it had their name stamped into the medal, recognising them individually. Around 39,000 of these medals were issued to the men who applied for them. The material chosen for the medal was Silver, which alongside Bronze, would be used widely for many medals in the coming century.

The Medals Included:
– WWI Victory Medal (United Kingdom): The Victory Medal (also called the Inter-Allied Victory Medal) is a United Kingdom and British Empire First World War campaign medal.

The award of a common allied campaign medal was recommended by an inter-allied committee in March 1919. Each allied nation would design a ‘Victory Medal’ for award to their own nationals, all issues having certain common features, including a winged figure of victory on the obverse and the same ribbon. Fourteen countries finally awarded the medal.

– British War Medal: The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in silver and 110,000 in bronze, the latter awarded to, among others, the Chinese, Maltese and Indian Labor Corps.

Both medals are in near mint condition with the expected storage and display wear. Both may have been polished at some point due to how bright they are. The are both rim engraved to the same soldiers and reads as:

160658 SPR. J. C. WEEKES. R. E.

We have not been able to locate any service information for Sapper J. C. Weekes and we do know that he was Royal Engineers due to the rim engraving.

The third and final item in this grouping is the beautiful cased 1902 Coronation Medal. In 1901 Edward VII became king following the death of Queen Victoria. The king only reigned for nine years, in contrast to his mother who held the title of Britain’s longest reigning monarch until Her Late Majesty The Queen surpassed the record in September 2015. Although Edward became king in 1901, his first coins weren’t struck until 1902.

A lovely assortment of items that come more than ready for further research and display.