Royal Humane Society, clasp, inscribed, ‘February 24-1871’, bronze, unnamed, attributed to Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., Royal Navy, good very fine £100-150

Lord Charles Beresford was awarded the Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal whilst serving as a Midshipman, R.N. on H.M.S. Defence. The successful rescue was made at Liverpool on 18 September 1863 (Case No. 17182). As a Lieutenant on H.M.S. Galatea, he was awarded a second award clasp for a rescue at the Falkland Islands on 24 February 1871 (Case No. 18722). Lord Beresford mislaid/lost this clasp because the R.H.S. casebook records that a duplicate clasp was delivered by hand to his address at 30 Charles Street, London, on 24 November 1871. In a photograph of Beresford, taken during the 1880’s, he is shown in Naval uniform, wearing his R.H.S. Medal with its distinctively shaped clasp. However, when his medals were sold at Christies, 21 July 1987, the clasp on the medal was a rectangular one. Presumably during the interim, the replacement clasp was again mislaid/lost and an unofficial replacement substituted. The clasp above is likely to be the replacement clasp issued by the R.H.S. in November 1871. With copied research.

Note: the lot consists of the clasp only.