Commemorative, Historical and Art Medals

Kenya, City of Nairobi, Charter Celebrations, a silver-gilt award medal, 1950, by T. Fattorini, city arms, rev. legend within wreath, named (The Deputy Mayor Coun. N.F. Harris), hallmarked Birmingham 1949, 51mm. Extremely fine £100-150

Provenance: DNW Auction M7, 1 July 2008, lot 2679; J.N. Spencer Collection.

Norman Harris was the prime mover behind the granting of a royal charter to the city of Nairobi, conferred on it by the Duke of Gloucester on 30 March 1950. The move was not universally popular as it was perceived that it would lead to the expansion of the white-controlled municipality into suburban African areas, and it led to a general strike in May 1950 which had ‘the sympathetic support of virtually all African workers in Nairobi’