Item number: M541

Reference number: Borna Barac II#100; BBM#59

Year: AD 1869

Material: Bronze

Size: 32.1 x 32.1 x 2.9 mm

Weight: 19.55 g

Manufactured by: The Royal Mint, London

Provenance: Aberdeen Medals 2026

This is a trial specimen representing the Abyssinian War Medal, formally sanctioned on 1 March AD 1869 and awarded to all British Army and Royal Navy personnel, alongside members of the British Indian Army, who took part in the expeditionary operations in Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) in East Africa between 4 October AD 1867 and 19 April AD 1868 under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Napier, with approximately 14,000 specimens issued.

The medal is circular in form. The obverse features the left-facing bust of Queen Victoria, diademed and veiled, bearing a close resemblance to the effigy depicted on the New Zealand Medal issued during the same era. The portrait is encircled by a beaded border, enclosed within a nine-pointed star adorned with foliate ornamentation; in the angles between each of the nine points, the individual letters spelling the word “ABYSSINIA” are cast. Along the bottom truncation, the miniature signature “J.S. & A.B. WYON SC.” is inscribed, denoting it as the work of the brothers Joseph Shepherd Wyon and Alfred Benjamin Wyon from the renowned British lineage of medallists and engravers.

The reverse is circumscribed by a laurel wreath symbolising victory and honour, tied with a ribbon bow at the base, and enclosed within an inner beaded border alongside a delicate raised ring. The circular centre is left recessed to accommodate the recipient’s military details, including their name, rank, and regiment or Royal Navy vessel.

The present specimen represents a pattern or trial piece lacking the suspension fitting; the issued medals were surmounted by a three-dimensional Imperial Crown soldered to the top, through which a ribbon—red with broad white borders—was threaded. This award is regarded as the most costly of all British general-issue campaign medals, primarily because the recipient’s details on the reverse were embossed in relief for most British troops and certain Indian units, necessitating an individual bespoke die for each medal, whereas only a proportion of the medals awarded to native Indian troops were finished using the conventional engraved method.

The conflict originated when Emperor Tewodros II (Theodore) of Abyssinia, perceiving himself slighted by British diplomatic correspondence, detained the British consul alongside several European missionaries, prompting the British government to mobilise a substantial expeditionary force from Bombay and Britain. Leading a formidable contingent exceeding 40,000 personnel—supported by a vast logistics train utilising thousands of camels and dozens of elephants—General Napier conducted a 300-mile march across precipitous mountainous terrain and deep ravines from the Red Sea coast to the fortress capital of Magdala. Employing the breech-loading Snider–Enfield rifle on a large scale in combat for the first time, the British force inflicted devastating casualties upon the opposing troops. Following the suicide of Emperor Tewodros II and the raxing of the fortress, the British achieved the liberation of the hostages with extraordinarily light casualties—suffering only two fatalities—and promptly withdrew; the exceptional logistical efficiency and one-sided outcome of this campaign may have served as an indirect catalyst for the Kingdom of Italy’s subsequent ill-fated expeditions in East Africa.

Queen Victoria (AD 1819–1901) ascended the throne in AD 1837 and reigned for sixty-three years, an epoch celebrated as the “Victorian Era”, which marked the zenith of the British Empire’s global power. In her earlier years, she established a resilient constitutional monarchy with the counsel of Prince Albert; following the Prince Consort’s demise, she remained in protracted mourning dress and semi-seclusion, yet retained substantial influence over the military and administrative affairs of the realm. Throughout her reign, Britain vigorously pursued global imperial expansion: the Queen was formally proclaimed “Empress of India” in AD 1876, while British policy in Africa—conducted under the auspices of safeguarding maritime routes, suppressing the slave trade, and securing commercial interests—formed an integral part of the broader impetus that culminated in the “Scramble for Africa”.

物件編號: M541

參考書目編號: Borna Barac II#100; BBM#59

年代: 公元 1869 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 32.1 x 32.1 x 2.9 mm

重量: 19.55 g

製造地: 皇家鑄幣廠，倫敦

來源: Aberdeen Medals 2026

這是一枚阿比西尼亞戰爭獎章的樣章，該章於公元1869年3月1日正式設立，頒予公元1867年10月4日至1868年4月19日期間，由羅伯特·內皮爾中將(Sir Robert Napier)統率、參與東非阿比西尼亞(今衣索比亞)遠征作戰的全體英國陸海軍官兵與英屬印度軍隊成員，約頒發14,000枚。

獎章呈圓形。中央為維多利亞女王左側半身像，頭戴王冠，披著頭紗。與童年頒行的紐西蘭獎章上的肖像相似。肖像以珠圈環繞，其外為九角星芒，星芒內有葉狀紋飾，九個星芒間的角隅內分別鑄有單字「ABYSSINIA」(阿比西尼亞)的九個字母。肖像底緣微縮刻有「J.S. & A.B. WYON SC.」，標示其為出自英國著名雕刻世家的約瑟夫·懷恩(Joseph Shepherd Wyon)與阿爾弗雷德·懷恩(Alfred Benjamin Wyon)兄弟的作品。

背面外圈為一圈象徵勝利與榮譽的月桂葉冠，底部飾有絲結，內側以珠圈和細環圍繞。中央圓形空白區則專門用於標註獲頒者的個人軍籍資訊，包含姓名、軍階以及所屬團部或皇家海軍服役艦艇名。

此章為無懸掛版，原章章體頂部則焊有一頂立體的帝國皇冠懸掛，綬帶則為紅底、邊緣鑲白色色帶。此章被視為英國常規戰役勳章中造價最昂貴的一款，主因在於多數頒發給英軍與部分印度部隊的勳章背面文字皆為浮凸(Embossed)壓印，每枚勳章都必須製作專屬模具，僅部分印度本土官兵版本採用傳統陰刻(Engraved)方式處理。

這場戰役起因於阿比西尼亞皇帝特沃德羅斯二世(狄奧多爾)自認遭英國外交忽視，遂拘禁英國領事與歐洲傳教士，促使英軍自孟買與本土調集大軍遠征。內皮爾將軍率領包含逾四萬名人員、大批駱駝與大象的龐大後勤部隊，自紅海沿岸跋涉三百英里高山深谷攻抵首都馬格達拉，並首度在實戰中大規模運用斯奈德步槍(Snider-Enfield)重創敵軍。最終特沃德羅斯二世自殺、要塞被焚毀，英軍以極低傷亡(僅 2 人陣亡)達成解救人質目標後迅速撤軍，此役的後勤效率與懸殊戰果，可能為義大利王國日後輕率遠征東非，陷入泥潭的遠因。

維多利亞女王(Queen Victoria，AD 1819-1901)，於公元1837年繼位，在位長達63年，其統治期被譽為大英帝國勢力頂峰的「維多利亞時代」。早年她在丈夫阿爾伯特親王的輔佐下奠定了穩固的君主立憲形象，親王逝世後雖長期退隱戴紗服喪，但對帝國軍政發展始終具備一定的影響力。在其統治期間，英國積極推進全球殖民擴張，不僅於公元1876年正式加冕為「印度女皇」，亦在非洲推行以維護航道安全、打擊奴隸貿易與保障僑民商務為名的干預政策，掀起「瓜分非洲」(Scramble for Africa)浪潮。