Item number: M317

Year: AD 1922-1936

Material: Bronze

Size: 66.7 x 49.5 x 3.3 mm

Weight: 66.4 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint

Provenance: Spink 2024

This is a badge established by the British government in AD 1922 to honour civil personnel who contributed to various colonies across Africa, known as the “Badge of the Certificate of Honour.” This piece was awarded during the reign of King George V, specifically as a specimen for the “Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.”

The badge is oval-shaped, with the edges on both sides stamped with the word “SPECIMEN.” The outer borders on both the obverse and reverse feature a design of lions holding crowns. On the obverse, a profile portrait of the reigning monarch appears—in this case, a formal side-view likeness of King George V, who reigned from AD 1910 to AD 1936. Around the portrait, the title “GEORGE V KING AND EMPEROR” is inscribed.

The reverse is engraved with the name of the colony and related symbols. This badge, awarded to civil personnel in the “Colony of Nigeria,” displays the British coat of arms specifically designed for Nigeria. It includes a hexagram symbolising the Seal of Solomon, with a Tudor Crown at its centre to represent the British monarch, and “NIGERIA” engraved at the bottom.

The “Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria” was established in AD 1914, following the British government’s takeover and consolidation of territories in West Africa previously controlled by the Royal Niger Company. In AD 1954, the colony was reorganised into a federation. Nigeria then declared independence in AD 1960, formally becoming a new nation.

物件編號: M317

年代: 公元 1922-1936 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 66.7 x 49.5 x 3.3 mm

重量: 66.4 g

製造地: 皇家造幣廠

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2024

這是一枚自公元1922年起，英國政府為獎勵在非洲各個殖民地貢獻的文職人員所設立的「榮譽獎章」。這枚物件為喬治五世統治時期，專門頒發給「奈及利亞殖民地和保護國」的樣章。

獎章外觀呈現為一個蛋狀，左右兩側邊緣皆有打印「SPECIMEN」(樣章) 字樣的戳記。獎章正反兩面的外緣以抱著王冠的獅子作為設計。獎章正面會放上時任統治者肖像，這一枚是時任英國國王的喬治五世 (統治：公元1910至1936年) 的側身禮服像。人像周圍則有「GEORGE V KING AND EMPEROR」(喬治五世國王和皇帝) 頭銜字樣。

獎章背面則會鐫刻殖民地的名字和相關意象，像這一枚專門頒發給「奈及利亞殖民地」的文職人員，就在背面放上英國替奈及利亞設計的國徽，一個寓意為所羅門之戒的六角星，正中央則是象徵英國國王的都鐸王冠，最下方則打印「NIGERIA」(奈及利亞)。

「奈及利亞殖民地和保護國」成立於公元1914年，為英國政府接管和統籌皇家尼日公司在西非留下的殖民地。公元1954年，進一步將殖民地改組為聯邦。公元1960年，奈及利亞宣布獨立正式成為新國家。