Published by Shire Books. ISBN 0747804656. £4.50.
CAMPAIGN medals is now a popular field for collectors. In the late 19th century, as the British Empire expanded, more and more medals were awarded for military service and as these came onto the market, they became collectors’ items. The greatest stimulus was that the majority of the awards were named to their recipients, either officially (at the Royal Mint or the Calcutta Mint) or unofficially.
As a medal gives the name, rank and regiment of the recipient, so a collector can research the military career of the man himself, or his regiment. With the growing number of books, campaign histories and battle studies now in print and the availability of original service documents, a medal becomes a tangible link with military history. The contents include basic terminology, with the main chapter being on the medals themselves – plenty of colour illustrations here.
Peter Duckers is the curator of the Shropshire Regimental Museum at Shrewsbury Castle and he specialises in awards to the Indian Army.
Valour diction
British Campaign Medals, by Peter Duckers 1815-1914
