The Ashanti Medal was sanctioned in October 1901 and was the first campaign medal authorised by

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

. This medal was created for those troops engaged in the Third Ashanti Expedition, also known as the

War of the Golden Stool The War of the Golden Stool, also known as the Yaa Asantewaa War, the Third Ashanti Expedition, the Ashanti Uprising, or variations thereof, was a campaign in 1900 during the series of conflicts between the United Kingdom and the Ashanti Empire ...

. This expedition lasted from March – December 1900, with the final outcome that the Ashanti maintained its de facto independence. Ashanti was made a

Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...

of the British Empire, but they ruled themselves with little reference to the colonial power.

Description

The medal, designed by

George William de Saulles George William de Saulles (4 February 1862 – 21 July 1903) was a British medallist. He designed the obverse of coins of the United Kingdom and its colonies under Queen Victoria and King Edward VII. Life He was born on 4 February 1862 at Villa St ...

, was circular and in diameter, with the following design: Obverse: The bust of King Edward VII in Field Marshal's uniform facing left with the inscription 'EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR'. Reverse: The British lion standing on a rocky cliff facing a rising sun with, below, a native shield and crossed spears with a scroll bearing the inscription 'ASHANTI'. Metal: Awarded in silver to combatants and in bronze for native carriers. Ribbon: Green, wide, with three black stripes, one at each edge and one in the centre. Naming: The rim of the medal was impressed with the recipient's name and unit in small square capitals. Officers' medals often had details engraved in script.

Clasp

The clasp 'KUMASSI' was awarded to the forces besieged within

Kumassi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...

between 31 March and 15 July 1900 and to members of the two relieving columns, under Colonel

James Willcocks General Sir James Willcocks, (1 April 1857 – 18 December 1926) was a British Army officer who spent most of his career in India and Africa and held high command during the First World War. Early life and education Willcocks was born in Bara ...

and Colonel A.P. Burroughs respectively.

Numbers awarded

About 4,400 silver and at least 900 bronze medals were awarded. While no

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

units took part in the campaign, 183 European officers and 80 European

NCOs A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

seconded to local forces received the silver medal, as well as 131 European civilians, mainly local administrators and doctors. Some 4,000 locally recruited troops and constabulary received the medal in silver. About 900 carriers qualified for the medal in bronze. In addition, numerous local levies were employed who may also have received the bronze medal.

References

{{British campaign medals British campaign medals