New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1865 (Fredk. Browning, Boy 1st Cl. H.M.S. Eclipse) officially impressed naming, traces of brooch marks to reverse, otherwise nearly very fine and scarce £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An Important Collection of Medals for the Maori Wars, 1845-1866.

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Frederick Browning's medal was sent to Boscawen on 10 February 1883. Only 24 medals are known to have been awarded to the Royal Navy with this reverse date, 11 to Eclipse and 13 to Brisk. 75 medals (13 to R.N. officers, 49 to R.N. ratings, and 13 to R.M. N.C.Os. and men) were awarded to H.M.S. Eclipse of which 34 are known, including 11 with reverses dated 1865, 3 with reverses dated 1863-1864, one with reverse dated 1864-1866, and the balance dated 1863-1865.

Frederick Browning was born 2 March 1848, at Portsea, Hampshire. A shoemaker by trade, he entered the service on 8 April 1862 in St Vincent as Boy 2nd Class for 10 years Continuous Service (No. 21874) commencing 2 March 1866, declaring that he was not an indentured apprentice. He re-engaged for a further 10years on 10 January 1879 in the Duke of Wellington as an Able Seaman and was pensioned to shore on 8 February 1889. During his first term of engagement he served aboard Curacoa (April 1862 to September 1863), Eclipse (September 1863 to February 1867), Minotaur (February 1867 to September 1869), Lord Warden (September 1869 to September 1870), and Bellerophon (September 1870 to December 1871). He gained promotion through Boy 1st Class, Ordinary, Able Seaman and Trained Man, to Leading Seaman. He also spent 42 days in Lewes Gaol from Minotaur and 21 days under Civil Power from Bellerophon. In his second engagement, he served aboard Bellerophon (January to March 1873), Triumph (March 1873 to July 1875), Royal Adelaide (August 1875), Duke of Wellington (August 1875 to February 1879), Asia (February 1879 to February 1880), Duke of Wellington (February 1880), Inconstant (February to March 1880), Alexandra (March 1880 to November 1882), Duke of Wellington (November 1882 to January 1883), Boscawen (January to March 1883), transferring to H.M. Coastguard in Penelope (March 1883), Cornhill (March 1883 to April 1884), North End (April to September 1884), Duncan (September to October 1884), Duke of Wellington (October to November 1884), Victor Emanuel (November 1884 to February 1887), Duke of Wellington (February to May 1887), Crocodile (May to June 1887), Edinburgh (July to August 1887), and Crocodile (August 1887 to February 1889) from which he was pensioned to shore. In the course of he second period of Continuous Service engagement he rose to the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class before transferring to H.M. Coastguard as Boatman and, on return to the service, he regained his former status as Petty Officer 1st Class.

Sold with copies of two entries for Continuous Service, Seaman's Services, and relevant page of Medal Roll for New Zealand War for H.M.S. Eclipse 1863-66.