Item number: M236

Year: AD 1913-1914

Material: Silver

Size: 30.9 x 25.6 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 8.6 g

Provenance: Private Collector, UK, 2024

This is a silver medal prepared by the 1st Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment for a long jump athletics competition in AD 1914.

The medal is circular in shape, with the obverse side displaying the regiment’s insignia, a crown symbolising the royal family at the top, flanked by a laurel wreath on both sides, and a Chinese dragon with its head held high facing left. Below the dragon, the inscription “CHINA” is engraved.

The outer ring on the reverse side of the medal bears the regiment’s designation, “1ST ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGT.” In the centre, it displays the competition event “LONG JUMP” and the year “1914.” At the bottom edge, the “BN” along with the “anchor, lion, and O” hallmarks are the quality assurance marks of the Birmingham Assay Office. Since the 18th century, Birmingham, located in the west of England, became an important hub for silverware. In AD 1773, the government established an assay office there to ensure quality, and all silver items had to be inspected before being sold on the market. By examining the combination of hallmark symbols, the year in which the silver item passed inspection can be determined. The “anchor, lion, and O” hallmarks on the medal correspond to the year AD 1913.

The Royal Berkshire Regiment adopted the Chinese dragon as its insignia, a tradition inherited from its predecessor, the 49th (Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot, which participated in the First Opium War. In AD 1881, the 49th (Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot and the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot were merged to form the Royal Berkshire Regiment, with the former becoming the 1st Battalion and the latter the 2nd Battalion. The Royal Berkshire Regiment subsequently took part in the Second Boer War, the First World War, and the Second World War, and was reorganised in AD 1959 into the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment.

物件編號: M236

年代: 公元 1913-1914 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 30.9 x 25.6 x 1.6 mm

重量: 8.6 g

來源: 英國私人收藏 2024

這是一枚公元1914年，英軍皇家伯克郡步兵團第一營為跳遠田徑比賽準備的銀質獎牌。獎牌外觀為圓形，正面為部隊隊徽：頂部為象徵皇室的王冠，兩側為花環環繞，一隻向左昂首的中國龍，下方還打印「CHINA」(中國) 銘文。

獎章背面的外環是部隊番號「1^ST ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGT.」(皇家伯克郡步兵團第一營)。中央是競賽項目「LONG JUMP」(跳遠田徑) 和舉辦年份「1914」。獎章下緣的「BN」跟「船錨。獅子。O」為把關品質的伯明翰化驗室戳記。公元18世紀起，位處英格蘭西部的伯明翰成為重要的銀飾重鎮。公元1773年，政府為確保品質在當地成立化驗室，銀飾皆須經過檢查方能在市場出售。藉由戳記的圖案排列組合，就能對應銀飾通過檢驗的年份。獎牌的「船錨。獅子。O」戳記對應的年份為公元1913年。

皇家伯克郡步兵團之所以採納中國龍作為隊徽，是承襲自前身部隊「第 49赫特福德郡步兵團」曾經參與第一次鴉片戰爭的歷史。公元1881年，第49赫特福德郡步兵團和第66伯克郡步兵團，分別以第一營和第二營的編制合併為皇家伯克郡步兵團。皇家伯克郡步兵團陸續參與第二次布爾戰爭、第一次世界大戰和第二次世界大戰，並於公元1959年改組為「愛丁堡公爵皇家步兵團」。