Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 1st type (1837-1912), 1st Class, Reward of Valor, gold and enamel, the plain reverse officially engraved on three lines 1st Class “Order of Merit”, complete with gold ribbon buckle, nearly extremely fine and very rare £4000-5000

A fine example of the 1st Class badge as supplied by the Calcutta Mint during the Indian Mutiny period. 43 awards of the 1st Class were made in the period 1837-60, all but one for the Indian Mutiny campaign.

The “Order of Merit” was to the Indian Army, what the “Victoria Cross” is to the British Army, but it pre-dated the latter by nearly 20 years. Instituted in 1837 for acts of personal bravery, the Order of Merit consists of three classes, admission to a higher class only being possible with a similar act of bravery to that performed in winning the 3rd Class of the Order. The first awards of the 3rd Class were made for the Siege of Ghuznee in 1839, and the first promotion to the 2nd Class took place during the Afghanistan campaign of 1841-42. The first promotion or direct award to the 1st Class was made in 1857.