British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An interesting Defence of O’okiep Medal awarded to Private A. Cameron, Namaqualand Town Guard, son of one of the first white settlers in that region

Cape Copper Company Medal for the Defence of O’okiep, bronze issue (R. Cameron), light scratching over naming, otherwise good very fine
£1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by The Late John Hillard.

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Collection

In discussing the background to the relevant award in the introduction to his definitive history O’okiep, Brian Kieran cites the following story by way of illustrating how some of the recipients received their Medals:

‘An old Cape coloured man who had been employed as a miner during the siege, said he was given the O’okiep Medal with his pay packet when he collected it at the pay office. This coloured man had been living near Cape Town and was a patient of that doyen of South African medal collectors, the late Dr. Frank Mitchell. He had been working in the mine during the day but at night, together with others, he took up his rifle and 120 rounds of ammunition and did guard duty on the perimeter. His medal is named to “R. Cameron” because his father had been one of the first whites in Namaqualand and when asked about his mother he replied in colloquial Afrikaans: “My ma? Nee, my ma was sommer ‘n gewone ou Hotnot!” ......’