The Ashantee Medal is a British campaign medal instituted on 1 June 1874. It was awarded to British, Colonial and allied native forces, under the command of Major General Sir Garnet Wolseley, who were deployed against the army of the Ashanti King

Kofi Karikari Kofi Karikari (–)Cameron Duodu"Obituary of Beryl Karikari" ''The Guardian'', 5 March 2007. was the tenth King of the Ashanti Empire, and grandnephew of Kwaku Dua I, whose sudden death in April 1867 sparked internal strife about the succession. ...

, during the Third Anglo-Ashanti (or Ashantee) War, June 1873 to February 1874. Forces present included a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

contingent exceeding 3,500, two battalions of the

West India Regiment The West India Regiments (WIR) were infantry units of the British Army recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927. In 1888 the two West India Regiments then in existence were reduced t ...

, and a battalion each from the

Royal Welch Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designate ...

, the

Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regime ...

and the Rifle Brigade.

Description

The medal is a silver disc, in diameter. Obverse: the

diadem A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty. Overview The word derives from the Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", from διαδέω ''diadéō'', " ...

ed, veiled head of Queen Victoria and the inscription VICTORIA REGINA, designed by

Leonard Charles Wyon Leonard Charles Wyon (23 November 1826 – 20 August 1891) was a British engraver of the Victorian era most notable for his work on the gold and silver coinage struck for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 and the bronze coinage of ...

. Reverse: a scene of bush fighting between British and Ashanti in dense jungle, inspired by the campaign. The design, by Sir

Edward Poynter Sir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronet (20 March 183626 July 1919) was an English painter, designer, and draughtsman, who served as President of the Royal Academy. Life Poynter was the son of architect Ambrose Poynter. He was born in Paris, F ...

, was later also used on the reverses of the East and West Africa Medal and the

Central Africa Medal The Central Africa Medal was a British campaign medal awarded for service from 1891–1894 in Eastern and Central Africa, and from 1894–1898 for service in British Central Africa. Criteria Award of the Central Africa Medal was approved by Quee ...

.North East Medals note on Edward Poynter
accessed 20 April 2018. Ribbon: wide, with yellow with black edges and two narrow black central stripes, the same as the East and West Africa Medal. Naming: the recipient's name and unit was engraved on the rim of the medal in capitals, filled with black, along with the years 1873-4.

Clasps

COOMASSIE: awarded to those present at the

Battle of Amoaful The Battle of Amoaful was a battle fought on 31 January 1874 during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War when Sir Garnet Wolseley defeated the Ashantis after strong resistance.Kumasi 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 t ...

), the capital, and those protecting the lines of communication north of the Prah river. Recipients who later also qualified for the East and West Africa Medal were awarded the appropriate clasp to attach to their existing Ashantee Medal.

References

{{British campaign medals British campaign medals