Description

SOLD

Name: **SOLD** BRITISH NAVY SECOND CHINA WAR 1861 CAMPAIGN MEDAL CANTON BAR
SKU: 8107
Availability: OutOfStock

Offered is an original Second China War Campaign medal, with bar CANTON.

36mm wide circular silver medal with claw and ornate swivel ribbon suspension bar with CANTON 1857 clasp; the face with the young head of Queen Victoria circumscribed ‘VICTORIA REGINA’ (Victoria Queen), signed ‘W.WYON. R.A.’ (for William Wyon, R.A., 1795-1851, chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 to 1851); the reverse with a trophy of arms around a palm tree, a shield bearing the royal arms in the foreground, inscribed below ‘CHINA’, circumscribed above ‘ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACEM’ (Latin = they demanded peace by force of arms);un-named as issued to the Royal Navy recipients; on correct ribbon.

The medal was instituted on 6 March 1861 to be awarded to participants in the Second China War of 1857 to 1860. The ‘Canton 1857’ clasp was given to those who participated in the capture of Canton that year. Following bombardment by Royal Naval forces under Rear Admiral Sir Michael Seymour on 28 December 1857, a force of 800 British and Indian troops, 2,100 Royal Marines and 1.800 Royal Navy personnel, together with 950 men of the French Navy under Rear Admiral Rigault de Genouilly scaled the city walls on 29 December, completing the capture of the city three days later. Examples to the Army are usually named whilst those to the Royal Marines and Royal Navy, as in this example, are not.