Medal for The Defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie
(Specimen, Full Size)
克拉特-艾吉爾茲保衛獎章
(官方版樣章)
Item number: M319
Year: AD 1842
The results after XRF testing
Element | Percentage % |
Au | 94.33 % |
Ge | 4.22 % |
Ag | 1.36 % |
Material: Gold
Size: 36.0 x 36.0 x 3.3 mm
Weight: 45.95 g
Manufactured by: Royal Mint
Provenance:
1. Stack’s Bowers 2024
2. Noonans 2015
This is an extremely rare gold “Medal for the Defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie,” with fewer than ten known to exist. The medal was established to reward the soldiers who endured the siege at the fortress of Kelat-i-Ghilzie between February and May AD 1842, during the final stages of the First Anglo-Afghan War.
The official version of this medal was produced in silver; this gold version may have been a prototype created by the Royal Mint in London before mass production, using gold as a test material. The medal’s design matches the official silver version, with a prominent shield at its centre bearing the engraved name “KELAT-I-GHILZIE.” The shield is flanked by laurel wreaths, and is topped by a mural crown.
The reverse side of the medal is adorned with a trophy of arms motif at the top, symbolising military strength, and the central raised knight’s shield adds a three-dimensional emphasis to its defensive theme. Below the armoury is a rectangular plaque inscribed with the Latin words INVICTA MDCCCXLII (Invincible 1842), commemorating the defenders’ resilience in AD 1842. In the lower-left corner is the name of the Royal Mint’s Chief Engraver, William Wyon, whose skillful craftsmanship is marked on this rare edition. The official medal version includes a silver clip and a swivel bar suspension for attaching the ribbon, which features a red-white-yellow-white-blue pattern.
In December AD 1838, the British East India Company deployed an invasion force of over 20,000 troops into Afghanistan to kerb Russian expansion threatening its Indian colony. Although British forces managed to capture Kabul and install a client ruler, they faced fierce resistance from local tribes. By January AD 1842, with insurgents encircling Kabul, British command ordered a retreat of both troops and civilians. Tragically, as they withdrew through the narrow pass of Gandamak, the entire contingent was ambushed and annihilated, with only one British army doctor, Dr. William Brydon, surviving to tell the tale.
Following the British defeat at Gandamak, the fort at Kelat-i-Ghilzie, situated between Kabul and Kandahar, remained Britain’s sole military outpost in Afghanistan. The garrison, commanded by Captain John Halket Craigie, comprised 55 Europeans and 877 Indian soldiers. Despite being surrounded by enemy forces and enduring harsh winter conditions, the garrison held out. On May 21, they successfully repelled an assault by more than 6,000 Afghan fighters. Finally, on May 26, reinforcements arrived, lifting the siege and bringing relief to the fort’s resilient defenders.
物件編號: M319
年代: 公元 1842 年
XRF分析結果:
元素 | 比例 |
金 | 94.33 % |
鍺 | 4.22 % |
銀 | 1.36 % |