A rare Indian Mutiny period 2nd Class Order of Merit badge

Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 1st type, 2nd Class, Reward of Valor, silver with gold and enamel centre, the solid reverse inscribed ‘2nd Class Order of Merit’, obverse lower point of the star and suspension bar hallmarked London 1858, maker’s mark ‘ISH’ for John Samuel Hunt, fitted with silver-gilt ribbon buckle, good very fine and rare
£2000-2500

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.

Approximately 89 awards of the 2nd Class Order of Merit were made during the Indian Mutiny and a total of only 130 awards were made in the period 1837 to 1910.

Hunt & Roskell - previously ‘Storr & Mortimer, Goldsmiths and Jewellers to Her Majesty' (1822-1839). The famous silversmith Paul Storr founded the company in 1792 under the name Storr & Co, and took John Mortimer as a partner in 1822 and John Samuel Hunt, Storr's nephew (who had been working for Storr as a silversmith since 1810), as a third partner in 1826.

When Paul Storr retired from the firm on December 31, 1838, John Samuel Hunt's son John Hunt became a third partner and they did business as Mortimer & Hunt.  When John Mortimer retired in 1843, the Hunts took Robert Roskell as a partner, continuing the business as Hunt & Roskell.  They continued to be one of Europe's finest silversmithing firms, selling to Queen Victoria and many members of Europe's royal and aristocratic families and exhibiting at important international exhibitions including the 'Crystal Palace' exhibition of 1851. In the O&IOC archives there exists a Hunt & Roskell invoice dated 2 June 1858 for the supply of 50 1st class, 80 2nd class and 150 3rd class badges.