1894 Hong Kong Plague medal. Silver, 36 mm. MY-141, BBM-97. Integral mount on edge with jump ring. Choice Extremely Fine.

PRIVATE H. SMITH, S.L.I. A beautiful specimen of an evocative medal, deeply toned in opalescent gray rich with pastel undertones. The fields are lustrous and lightly reflective, and the details are sharp. Only trivial marks are present, including a short scratch right of FOR atop the reverse. Roughly 800 silver medals were distributed, plus 183 in gold. The medal was not considered an official service issue, having been distributed by the Hong Kong community, and permission to wear the medal was not granted. That fortunately kept this piece in exceptionally nice condition. Private Smith served in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, the unit that was the beneficiary of the lion's share of the medals: BBM says 500 of 800 issued, Medal Yearbook says 300 of 400 issued. The men of the Shropshire Light Infantry became known as the "Whitewash Brigade" for their house to house disinfection efforts. About 300 enlisted men were involved in the Brigade, which was created by legislation that gave reporting mandates the force of law in May 1894. The Hong Kong bubonic plague epidemic of 1894 was among the most fatal in history, killing 93% of those infected, including 20,000 in Hong Kong and 80,000 in nearby Guangzhou. Offered with a modern ribbon.

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From the Gem Collection. Earlier from J. Sanford Saltus; Collection of the American Numismatic Society; Morton and Eden's sale of May 2006, lot 177.