Item number: M157

Year: AD 1799-1914

Material: Silver gilt

Size: 45.8 x 58.9 x 2.0 mm

Weight: 35.45 g

Provenance: Dixons Medals 2022

This is a silver-gilt ‘Seringapatam Medal,’ a later restruck version commissioned by private individuals based on official dies from the Calcutta Mint in British India. In AD 1801, the British East India Company, representing the monarchy’s full authority in India at that time, ordered the creation of this medal to commemorate the conquest of the capital of the Mysore Kingdom, Seringapatam, in AD 1799.

The medal is classified into five grades based on the material used: gold, silver-gilt, silver, bronze, and pewter. The medal is circular in shape and features a fixed ring suspension for attachment. As this medal was not officially issued by the British government, it does not have an official ribbon but is typically worn with a yellow or red cord. In AD 1815, permission from the royal sanction was required to wear this medal in public settings. It wasn’t until AD 1851 that the right to wear this medal in the British Army was officially protected.

The obverse of the medal depicts a lion(representing England) overpowering a tiger(symbolising the Sultan of Mysore). Above the lion, the Arabic inscription reads, “The Lion of God is the conqueror” on the right side of the Union Jack. Below the lion-tiger battle scene, at the horizon, there is the abbreviated name of the designer, C.H. Küchler, indicated as “C.K.H,” with the letter K displayed in a mirrored fashion, which is a distinctive feature of the Calcutta Mint version. Below the design, there is a beaded line separating the medal, with Roman numerals indicating the date of May 4, AD 1799, the day Seringapatam was captured. Not only did soldiers from the East India Company and the British regular army participate in the offensive, but there were also Indian princely state armies from Bengal, Bombay, and Madras involved.

The reverse side of the medal intricately depicts the array of British troops surrounding and preparing to breach the city walls, with the distant view of the palace and the smoke from cannon fire. Positioned slightly to the left at the top is the sun nearing the meridian, representing the time of the attack by the British forces approaching noon. Below the scene, there is an inscription in Persian script that reads, “Seringapatam Fort, God’s gift, 28th day of the month Zikadah, AH 1213.”

In AD 1801, the East India Company commissioned the Soho Mint in Britain to produce the medal, however only 100 silver-gilt and 800 silver medals had been sent to India in AD 1805, and the rest were forwarded and distributed to the EIC’s Madras and Bombay forces in AD 1808. On the other hand, in AD 1808, the Calcutta Mint was locally commissioned to produce the medal specifically for the Bengal princely state troops, and was then issued out in AD 1809. Apart from the difference in the letter “K” as mentioned earlier, the main distinction between the two mints lies in the diameter of the medal, with the British-made one being 48 mm and the Indian-made one being 46 mm. According to the records of the East India Company’s orders, the Calcutta Mint only officially manufactured two grades of medals, “gold” and “silver,” without producing other metal grades. The reason being precedent in Bengal Presidency had already established the practise of H.E.I.C. company medals (for earlier campaigns) being issue in GOLD to ‘Native Officers’, and in SILVER to all ‘Other-Ranks’ – so as far as the Bengal Presidency Army were concerned, they would not now accept medals in inferior metals for their Native soldiers, as PRECEDENT set before had to be followed. For that reason primarily, together with costs and time to have the Gold and Silver medals struck for the Bengal Troops, the HEIC Calcutta Mint was ordered to strike the medals made for the BENGAL ARMY (only), in dies made in Calcutta -all Calcutta issued medals being exclusively issued in GOLD and SILVER only, and only awarded to Bengal Army Native Officers and Native Other Ranks respectively. Therefore, Bengali officers received gold medals, while soldiers received silver medals.

The appearance of a silver-gilt medal matching the Calcutta version was due to the mint’s willingness to accept private commissions to increase revenue, a practise that continued until it was banned in circa AD 1914. From the above information, it can be broadly inferred that this medal was likely commissioned by retired veterans or enthusiasts in private after the stated date. (See the Table below)

Tipu Sultan of Kingdom of Mysore, also known as the “Tiger of Mysore,” fiercely repelled British forces in both the First and Second Mysore Wars, earning a formidable reputation among the British. In the Second Mysore War, he succeeded his father, Hyder Sultan, upon his death, and allied with the French against the British. In AD 1799, during the Fourth Mysore War, British forces captured the fortresses of the Mysore capital. Despite the inevitable outcome, Tipu Sultan refused the suggestion from his French allies to escape, declaring, “Better to live for a day as a tiger, than for a thousand years as a sheep.” Following this conflict, significant territories of the Mysore Kingdom, including the original capital of Srirangapatna, were annexed by the British, who awarded the “Seringapatam Medal” for their victory.

物件編號: M157

年代: 公元 1799-1914 年

材質: 銀鍍金

尺寸: 45.8 x 58.9 x 2.0 mm

重量: 35.45 g

來源: 迪生獎章 2022

這是一枚大致在公元19世紀間，英國在印度殖民地的加爾各答造幣廠接受私人委託，按照官方版模具重新鑄造的銀鍍金質「塞林伽巴丹獎章」。公元1801年，彼時全權代表皇室經略印度的英國東印度公司，為慶祝公元1799年征服邁索爾王國的首都：塞林伽巴丹，下令鑄造該枚獎章以茲紀念。

獎章依照材質不同，有金、銀鍍金、銀、青銅、錫五種等級。獎章外觀為圓形，並附帶一個固定環形懸掛。由於此獎章並非由英國政府公發，故沒有正式綬帶，僅以黃色或紅色繩子充當。公元1815年，經過皇室允許在公眾場合方得以配戴此獎章。並且直到公元1851年，才保障在軍中佩帶該獎章的權益。

獎章正面刻有代表英國的雄獅撲倒象徵邁索爾蘇丹的老虎。獅子背後飄揚的米字旗右側以阿拉伯文寫上：「上帝之獅乃征服者」銘文。在獅虎搏鬥的右下方地平線處，刻有設計者C.H. Küchler的名字縮寫「C.K.H」，其中的K以左右鏡像表現，為加爾各答造幣廠版本的一大特色。珠狀線條作為分界的獎章下方，則以羅馬數字標示公元1799年5月4日，即攻陷塞林伽巴丹的日期。不僅有東印度公司士兵和英國正規軍參與攻勢，亦有孟加拉、孟買和馬德拉斯等印度土邦軍隊參與其中。

獎章背面細膩刻劃英軍包圍和準備攻克城牆的陣列，遠處依稀可見皇宮和炮擊產生的硝煙。上方偏左處則是快接近子午線位置的太陽，呈現英軍在接近正午時分的發動攻擊時間。獎章下方以波斯文寫上：「塞林伽巴丹要塞，神的禮物，齊卡達月的第28天，回曆1213年」銘文。

公元1801年，東印度公司委託遠在母國的蘇荷造幣廠鑄造，然而公元1805 年，只有 100 枚銀鍍金獎章和 800 枚銀質獎章被送往印度，其餘的則於公元 1808 年才運抵並分發給了東印度公司的馬德拉斯和孟買軍隊。另一方面，公元1808年就地委託在地的加爾各答造幣廠鑄造該獎章，並在公元1809年專門授予一同功克要塞的孟加拉土邦軍隊。前文提及的字母K差異外，兩家造幣廠的最大不同在於直徑，英國製為48 mm，印度製為46 mm。按照東印度公司的訂單紀錄，加爾各答造幣廠僅有正式製造「金質」和「銀質」兩種等級，並未有製造其它金屬等級的獎章。這是因為由於孟加拉總督轄區的先例已經建立了英國東印度公司勳章（用於早期戰役）頒發給「本土軍官」的金質獎章，以及頒發給所有「其他階級」的銀質獎章，所以就孟加拉總督轄區軍隊而言，他們不會接受對其本土士兵頒發次等金屬製成的獎章，因為必須遵循先前設定的先例。基於這個主要原因，再加上製作金牌和銀牌給孟加拉部隊所需的成本和時間，英國東印度公司加爾各答造幣廠被命令為孟加拉軍隊（僅限）以加爾各答廠的模具打造獎章，該廠發行的勳章只有金質和銀質，並分別頒發給孟加拉軍隊的本土軍官和其他階級。

之所以出現符合加爾各答版本的銀鍍金獎章，是因為造幣廠為增加收入願意接受私人委託的訂單，直到公元1914年才被禁止。藉由統整上述資料，大體能判斷這枚獎章可能是退役老兵或愛好者在日後私下委託打造。(見下表)

邁索爾王國的蒂普蘇丹又被稱為「邁索爾之虎」，他在第一次和第二次邁索爾戰爭中勇猛的擊退了英國軍隊，讓英國人對他有所忌憚。在第二次邁索爾戰爭中，他的父親海德爾蘇丹逝世，蒂普繼承了父親的王位，並和法軍結盟對抗英軍。公元1799年，第四次邁索爾戰爭爆發，英軍成功佔領了邁索爾首都的堡壘，在大局已定之際，蒂普蘇丹拒絕了法國盟軍逃跑的建議，並說了名言「寧為一日猛虎，不作千年馴羊」。此次戰爭後，邁索爾王國包含原首都斯里蘭加帕特納的大部分地區都被英國併吞，英國也為此次勝仗頒發了此枚「塞林伽巴丹獎章」。