Item number: M268

Year: AD 1849

Material: Bronze

Size: 35.9 x 35.9 x 3.6 mm

Weight: 28.75 g

Provenance: Dixons Medals 2024

This medal is a specimen of the Punjab Medal, awarded to officers and soldiers of the British Army and the East India Company who participated in the Second Anglo-Sikh War from AD 1848 to AD 1849.

The specimen medal is made of bronze, featuring a profile of Queen Victoria wearing a crown on the obverse, flanked by the Latin inscription “VICTORIA REGINA,” meaning Queen Victoria. The reverse depicts the scene of Sikh troops surrendering to Sir Walter Gilbert, who is mounted on a horse. In the background, British troops can be seen waving the British flag, and palm trees are visible on a hill. The inscription “TO THE ARMY OF THE PUNJAB” is placed above, and the year of the medal’s issue, AD 1849, is engraved in Roman numerals “MDCCCXLIX” below. The ribbon is deep blue with yellow stripes along the edges.

The designer of this medal was William Wyon, who served as the Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828.

The Punjab Campaign Medal was issued with three clasps: Mooltan, Goojerat, and Chilianwala, awarded to soldiers who participated in the sieges at these locations.

This Punjab Medal is a sample officially made to test new designs or production methods, and the official version of the Punjab Medal was made of silver. Therefore, this bronze sample was not issued to any recipients, underscoring its rarity.

The First Anglo-Sikh War ended with the defeat of the Sikh Empire and the signing of the Treaty of Lahore. According to the treaty, the Sikh Empire was required to pay a large indemnity and cede part of its territory. Subsequently, Britain attempted to interfere in the internal affairs of the Sikh region and influence its policies, leading to discontent among many Sikh nobles and officials, and eventually sparking the Second Anglo-Sikh War.

The Second Anglo-Sikh War began in AD 1848 with the uprising in Multan. At that time, two British East India Company officials and military officers stationed in Multan were attacked and killed, leading to an escalation of the rebellion as more Sikh soldiers joined the revolt. The battles of Chilianwala and Goojerat were among the key engagements of the war. Although the British won several battles, they paid a high price in terms of manpower and resources, with significant losses. Particularly in the Battle of Chilianwala, General Hugh Gough, who commanded the British forces, faced severe criticism.

After the war, Britain annexed the Punjab region, making it a province of British India. The conflict highlighted the combat capabilities of the Sikh people, leading Britain to begin recruiting Sikhs into the army. They played a significant role in suppressing the Indian Rebellion of AD 1857, helping the East India Company maintain its control.

物件編號: M268

年代: 公元 1849 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 35.9 x 35.9 x 3.6 mm

重量: 28.75 g

來源: 迪生獎章 2024

此枚獎章為英國的旁遮普獎章的樣章，該獎章授予公元1848-公元1849年間參與第二次英國錫克戰爭的英國軍隊和英國東印度公司的軍官和士兵。

這枚樣章以銅質打造，正面是頭戴王冠的維多利亞女王側像，兩側以拉丁文刻有「VICTORIA REGINA」銘文，意為維多利亞女王。背面為錫克軍隊向騎著馬的沃爾特·吉爾伯特爵士投降的情景，遠方有揮舞著英國國旗的英國軍隊、小山丘上長著棕櫚樹。上方刻有銘文「致旁遮普軍隊」(TO THE ARMY OF THE PUNJAB )，下方則以羅馬數字刻有此獎章的頒布年份1849「MDCCCXLIX」。獎章的綬帶為深藍色，兩側邊緣有黃色條紋。

這枚獎章的設計者為William Wyon，他自公元1828年起擔任英國皇家造幣廠的官方首席雕刻師。

旁遮普戰役獎章一共頒發了三種銘牌: 木爾坦(Mooltan), 古加拉特(Goojerat), 奇連瓦拉(Chilianwala)，分別授予在這三處地點參與圍攻戰役的士兵。

這枚旁遮普獎章為官方製作的樣章，通常是為了測試新設計、新製作方式…等情況下而鑄造，旁遮普戰役獎章的正式版本為銀質獎章，因此這種銅製樣章不會被正式發放給任何得獎者，這也更顯這種樣章的稀少。

第一次英國錫克戰爭以錫克帝國的戰敗告終，雙方簽訂了《拉合爾條款》，根據條款，錫克帝國須賠償鉅額條款並割讓部分領土，隨後，英國試圖干涉錫克的地區事務，影響其政策，引發錫克帝國內許多貴族與官員的不滿，最終導致第二次英國錫克戰爭的爆發。

第二次英國錫克戰爭以公元1848年在木爾坦的起義事件作為開端。當時，派往木爾坦地區的兩名英國東印度公司政治人員和軍官被襲擊殺害，隨後叛亂規模擴大，越來越多的錫克士兵參與其中。 奇連瓦拉戰役和古加拉特戰役是這場戰爭中最為關鍵的幾場戰役，儘管英國在幾場戰役中獲勝，卻在人力和資源上都付出昂貴代價，損傷慘重，尤其在奇連瓦拉戰役中，負責指揮英國軍隊的休·高夫將軍因此受到許多嚴厲的批評。

戰爭結束後，英國併吞了旁遮普地區，使其成為英屬印度的一個省份。這次戰爭讓英國認識到錫克人的戰鬥能力 ，於是開始招募錫克人民加入軍隊。他們在後來的公元1857年印度起義中發揮了重要作用，幫助英國東印度公司維護統治。