The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria

New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1865 to 1866 (910 John Higgins, 57th. Regt.) edge bruising, nearly very fine £340-£380

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria.

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Provenance: Cross Collection, J. B. Hayward, January 1973.

John Higgins was born in Glasgow and attested for the 93rd Highlanders in May 1854. He served with the Regiment in the Crimea, and was severely wounded by a gun shot wound to the left forearm at the Battle of the Alma, 20 September 1854. He transferred to the 57th Foot on 8 May 1864, and proceeded to join the Regiment in New Zealand the following year, one of 47 men from the Regiment who qualified for the New Zealand Medal with the reverse dates 1865-1866.

Higgins transferred to the 72nd Foot on 1 June 1870, and was finally discharged on 5 September 1876, after 22 years and 30 days’ service. His service papers note that he ‘is in possession of the Crimea and Turkish Crimea Medals with clasps for Alma and Sebastopol; New Zealand Medal; and Medal for N.W. Frontier of India.’

Note: The last medal is presumably an erroneous reference to the India General Service Medal with clasp Umbeyla; with the exception of a few ‘odd men’, the 93rd Highlanders did not receive the ‘North West Frontier’ clasp.