Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Leander Medal for Life Saving, 44mm, silver, the obverse featuring a man swimming in rough waters towards a castle on a cliff, guided by a female figure holding a torch, the reverse inscribed ‘Presented to A. Smith of the Sandringham & Finsbury Rifles Swimming Clubs by J. Ward for saving the lives of his wife Ann Ward & her brother J. Gibbs May 20 1877.’ within laurel and oak wreath, with Indian Mutiny style suspension, very fine, rare £200-£240

Provenance: Morton and Eden, December 2008.

The likely recipient of this medal is Colour Sergeant Smith of the Finsbury Rifles. He was mentioned in a shooting match in 1861 and, in the following year, won a silver challenge cup for another shooting match at Brighton.

Sold with the original draft of a feature on the Leander Medal by Jack Boddington, subsequently published in the Life Saving Awards Research Society Journal of June 2008; and other copied research.