India General Service, 1854-95, 4 clasps, Burma 1885-87, Burma 1887-89, Chin Hills 1892-93, Kachin Hills 1892-93, engraved in a running script (Engene Driver Sk Md Essack Tender “Pagan” I.M.S.), about extremely fine and extremely rare While the first two clasps could not have been earned while serving on I.M.S. Pagan (as the ship had not been built at that time) the medal has always been known with these four clasps. It is possible however that Essack served on a different ship from 1885-89, for which a two clasp medal may have been issued under (or a close variation of ) that name and then reengaged on Pagan for the two later campaigns. It may be that he mislaid his first medal and asked for the earlier two clasps to be added to his medal for service on Pagan. Alas, unless a medal with the two earlier clasps to Essack appears, this can only be conjecture, as the whereabouts of the rolls for the Indian Marine are unknown and are highly unlikely ever to be traced. It is however an extremely unusual medal with a distinguished provenance.Ex Douglas-Morris Collection, D.N.W., February 1997, and Ron Wright Collection, D.N.W., November 2021

Estimate: GBP 800 - 1200