Orders, Decorations and Medals

Cherry Medal 1900-04, silvered bronze, unnamed as issued, nearly extremely fine £180-220

The Cherry Medal was conceived and privately struck by the officers of H.M.S. Argonaut after their return from four years on the China station.

Captain George Henry Cherry, R.N., took command of H.M.S. Argonaut and sailed for Hong Kong in August 1900, where it acted as a guardship. It was these four years in the China seas which gave birth to the Cherry Medal, for the years were a constant struggle against Captain Cherry, a martinet who niggled his way through rules and regulations. It was originally intended that only the five sole survivors of the commission should have the medal, but those who had served one, two, or three years under Captain Cherry objected and so they were granted the medal and eventually those with six months service were likewise awarded.

One hundred medals were struck and supplied by Gamages of London. The dislike felt towards Captain Cherry was not confined to the officers of Argonaut, for there were many others who had had the misfortune to serve under him in other ships. Amongst these was Admiral Lord Fisher who deviously obtained a Cherry Medal through another Argonaut officer.

Captain Cherry had become a legend in his own time and the joke Cherry Medal was of such interest that King George VI accepted one for his own collection. It is also reported that many years later, Admiral Cherry was offered one of the medals, and doubtless finding no rule or regulation against the medal, graciously accepted it.

Sold with a photograph of H.M.S. Argonaut; a photocopy of The Cherry Medal (Vice-Admiral George Henry Cherry), taken from Fabulous Admirals and Some Naval Fragments, by Commander G. L. Lowis; and other copied research.