It was among a group of five medals and a substantial archive sold for £420,000 to a ‘relatively new collector of British gallantry awards’. The estimate was £300,000-400,000.
The medal was awarded in 1891 to 30-year-old Scotsman Lieutenant Charles Grant, of the 12th Regiment (2nd Burma Battalion) Madras Infantry.
After hearing of the execution of British officials after a new maharajah took over at Manipur, he led his 80-man detachment in a series of brilliant sallies to first dislodge and then disperse the Manipuris from their entrenched defences at Thobal.
One of his soldiers later said of him: “How could we be beaten under Grant Sahib? He is a tiger in a fight.”
