Historical and Art Medals, Numismatic Books

India, Madras Medical College, the Bannerman Gold Medal for Proficiency in Bacteriology, c. 1915, a gold award, unsigned, bust of William Bannerman three-quarters left, rev. legend, stamped 12 ct, edge named (L. Lushington), 32mm, 20.33g (Pudd. –). Extremely fine with red tone, rare; with clip and ring for suspension and in black fitted case by Elkington & Co (£150-200)

William Burney Bannerman (1858-1924), Scots physician, became an officer in the Indian Medical Service. In 1889 he married Helen Watson (1862-1946), best known as the author of the 1898 children’s book The Story of Little Black Sambo. The Bannermans moved to Madras, where he was assigned to help develop a vaccine to counter the growing epidemic of bubonic plague. They lived there until he retired as Madras surgeon-general in 1918; Bannerman died in Edinburgh. For other medals to the recipient, see lots 2379 and 2383