Queen’s Medal for Native Chiefs. EIIR 1st Type. 1st Class. Silver-Gilt

The award complete with it's integral silver-gilt collar chain.

Sold together with:

- Plush hinged silk case of issue. This with EIIR monogram in tolled letters on case lid, and with silk panel and plush recess interior

In 1953 the massive medal measured 67.8 mm by 50 mm on a chain 82 cm in length. The links were in the form of Tudor roses, the royal monogram "EIIR", and crowns. The obverse bears the effigy of Elizabeth II by Cecil Thomas surrounded by the inscription Queen Elizabeth The Second. The reverse remained unchanged between versions. 1st Class awards were awarded in silver-gilt, and 2nd Class awards were in silver. The EIIR medals with chains are 194g weight

The King's, later Queen's, Medal for Chiefs was instituted in 1920, as an honour awarded exclusively 'qualifying' overseas colonies and territories of the erstwhile British Empire. The award was not awarded in every colony or territory (for example no awards were ever issued in India). The medal was only granted to 'Chiefs' in colonies, mandated territories & protectorates in, Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific region.The honour is no longer awarded. Medals were struck bearing the effigies of George V, George VI, and Elizabeth II. The earliest versions of the medal were worn on a silver chain - later gilt chains. From 1954, a peculiar 'option' was allowed to recipients who could chose between a badge with chain, or a conventional breast badge. By the 1970's, the Annual Royal Mint reports record only a very few chains being manufactured. From the 1960's, the majority of awards struck and issued were breast awards, of reduced size / dimensions that were suspended from yellow ribbons with two white stripes for the Gilt 1st Class Medals, and yellow with a single white centre stripe for the Silver 2nd Class Medals. Throughout the history of the honour, awards were never prolific

In South East Asia, a number of awards of the King's and later Queen's Medals for Chief's, were presented to Iban and Dayak tribal chiefs in the colonies of Sarawak and British North Borneo, including several loyal chiefs who had performed sterling service in the War against Japan, in which they had operated as skilled - and feared - leaders of 'Head-Hunters'

Throughout the British Empire awards of the King's and later Queen's Medals for Native Chiefs, were published in the respective Government Gazettes of the respective Colonies. For example the Sarawak Gazette issue of 29 May1963, includes in it's list of published awards following a list of 4 x recipients of the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry, are the notified awards of 1 x Queen's Medal for Chief's (Silver-Gilt), and 5 x Queen's Medal for Chief's (Silver)

With the demise of the British Empire, the award became obsolete

Extremely scarce found contained in its gilt tooled EIIR monogrammed case of issue, as issued

The case with a few minor scuffs

Condition: About EF

Code: 24354