Item number: M556

Reference number: Barac, Borna II #640

Year: AD 1877

Material: XRF tested as 98% gold

Size: 406 x 56.8 x 3.4 mm

Weight: 140.2 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint, London

Provenance: Spink 2025

This is an Empress of India Medal, officially known as the Delhi Imperial Assemblage Commemorative Medal. It was primarily issued to commemorate the grand ceremony held in Delhi on 1 January AD 1877, at which Queen Victoria was formally proclaimed Empress of India, and was presented to senior British officials, Indian princes and other dignitaries. To this day, the exact numbers of gold and silver medals awarded remain unknown, although it is generally believed that the total number of gold medals was fewer than 100.

The obverse features a left-facing portrait of Victoria, wearing a small crown, with a widow’s veil partially covering her head, and adorned with pendant earrings and a necklace. The surrounding inscriptions read “VICTORIA” and “1ST JANUARY 1877”, arranged from left to right.

The reverse bears the inscription “Empress of India” in Urdu, Devanagari and English, surrounded by a border composed of repeated triangular and dotted motifs. The gold and silver medals are fitted with a claw and bar suspension, attached to a deep crimson ribbon edged with yellow on both sides, while the copper medal is unsuspended.

In AD 1857, long-standing Indian discontent with the East India Company culminated in a large-scale uprising. Following the Indian Rebellion, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act, transferring the Company’s administrative powers and authority to the British Crown.

In AD 1877, Victoria became Empress of India, redefining the relationship between Britain and India. This relationship remained largely unchanged until 15 August AD 1947, when India finally gained independence.

The principal driving force behind the Queen’s adoption of this title was Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who believed that, after the British Crown had assumed responsibility for governing India, the monarch required an appropriate title. The Royal Titles Act allowed the Queen, at her discretion, to add an additional title to those associated with the Imperial Crown.

Urdu is one of the major languages of South Asia and is also the national language of Pakistan. It has been influenced by both Arabic and Persian, whilst remaining distinct from both. Devanagari, meanwhile, is the writing system used for Hindi. Hindi and Urdu share very similar phonology and grammar, but differ considerably in their vocabulary and have therefore developed into separate languages.

物件編號: M556

參考書目編號: Barac, Borna II #640

年代: 公元1877年

材質: XRF 測量 98% 黃金

尺寸: 406 x 56.8 x 3.4 mm

重量: 140.2 g

製造地: 英國皇家鑄造廠，倫敦

來源: Spink 2025

這是一枚印度女皇獎章，正式名稱為德里帝國集會紀念獎章。此獎章鑄造於公元1877年，主要為紀念同年1月1日於德里舉行的盛大典禮，以及維多利亞女王正式被宣布為印度女皇，並於典禮之際頒發予英國高級官員、印度王公及其他人士。直至今日仍無法確定金質及銀質獎章實際頒發的數量，但普遍認為，金質獎章的總數應當少於100枚。

獎章正面是將面向左側的維多利亞，頭戴小皇冠，頭部部分覆蓋著寡婦面紗。她佩戴垂墜耳環與項鍊，周遭附有銘文，由左至右分別寫著“VICTORIA”，“1ST JANUARY 1877”。

背面有以烏爾都語、天城文及英文寫成的印度女皇字樣。外圍以三角及圓點堆疊而成。金質與銀質獎章均配有爪形吊環及橫桿懸掛裝置，懸掛裝置連接著上方的深紅色綬帶，兩側鑲以黃色點綴之；銅質獎章則沒有懸掛裝置。

公元1857年，印度人因為東印度公司累積的不滿最終爆發，演變成一場大規模起義。印度起義後，英國國會通過《印度政府法》，將東印度公司的行政權力與權利移交給英國王室。

公元1877年，維多利亞成為印度女皇，重新確立了英國與印度之間的關係，兩國的關係直到公元1947年8月15日才產生變化，因為印度終於獲得獨立。

女王獲得這一頭銜的最大推手是首相班傑明，他認為英國王室承擔了統治印度的責任後，需要給君王一個適當的頭銜。《王室頭銜法》允許女王依其意願，在與帝國皇冠相關的稱號中加入附加頭銜。

烏爾都語是南亞主要語言之一，亦是巴基斯坦國語，受到阿拉伯與波斯兩種語言的影響，卻又與二者不同。天城文則是印地語的文字系統，印地語和烏爾都語的音韻和語法十分相似，但在字彙量上相差甚大，因此各自發展成獨立的語言。