Crimea Medal 1854-55 with 3 Clasps - ALMA, INKERMAN & SEBASTOPOL - Named to C. HARPER of the 55th Regiment of Foot

Here on offer is a fine example of a Crimea Medal 1854-55 with 3 clasps being: ALMA, INKERMAN and SEBASTOPOL.

It is named to C. HARPER of the 55th Regiment of Foot.

The 55th Regiment of Foot, known as the Westmorland Regiment, later amalgamated with the 34th Cumberland Regiment in 1881 to form the Border Regiment.

Now I have tried to trace C. Harper but was warned that the Crimea War medal roll is poorly sorted and difficult to read, with some names/initials being recorded incorrectly.

I have done some initial research to try and find service details for C. Harper, but haven’t been successful so far. Apparently, this is not uncommon for Crimea War soldiers and in fact the only Harper I can find in the 55th Regiment is a Thomas Harper, who was ‘Dangerously Wounded” at the Battle of Inkerman, so he would not have been involved in the siege of Sebastopol.

If anybody can assist with finding C. Harpers service details, that would be greatly appreciated.


The circular medal and swivel mount are made of sterling silver, as are the 3 clasps that surmount it.

The obverse was designed by William Wyon, (the chief engraver of the Royal Mint from 1828) and displays a portrait of Queen Victoria and is inscribed:

VICTORIA REGINA
1854

The reverse is also designed by William Wyon and displays a Roman soldier, armed with a circular shield and short sword, being crowned by a Winged Victory.

Along with the vertical word:

CRIMEA

The edge is officially impressed in plain block capitals with:

‘C. HARPER. 55TH REGt.’

It is suspended on its original long section of pale blue and yellow edge striped ribbon, that now is very faded to almost a khaki colour, but is a great genuine period ribbon.

It is fitted with 3 original ornate silver clasps, being shaped like oak leaves with acorn finials, that are for:

ALMA, INKERMAN and SEBASTOPOL.

The Crimean War Medal was sanctioned by Queen Victoria on 15 December 1854. Two clasps were also authorised at this time, for the battles of Alma (20 September 1854) and Inkerman (5 November 1854). The clasp for the battle of Balaklava (which took place before that of Inkerman, on 25 October 1854) was not authorised until 23 February 1855. The clasp for the fall of Sevastopol (9 September 1855) was granted on 13 October 1855.

The 55th Foot was part of the 2nd Division of the British Army during the Crimean War. Its primary actions included:

The Battle of the Alma: Fought on September 20, 1854, this was the first major battle of the war. The 55th took part in the difficult advance up the heights under heavy Russian fire.

The Battle of Inkerman: On November 4, 1854, the 55th fought to repel a major Russian assault aimed at breaking the British position near the port of Balaklava. No fewer than 19 VCs awarded for gallantry at Inkerman alone, the largest number for a single action.

The Siege of Sevastopol: After the initial battles, the regiment endured the brutal winter of 1854–1855 during the long siege of the Russian city of Sevastopol. It also participated in later actions, including the final assault on the Great Redan.


The medal itself in in excellent condition with a clean polished finish with some light surface scratches. The only damage I can see is just a minor edge bruise/dink on the reverse, at the 6 O’clock position.

The medal measures 1.4” (3.6cm) diameter and weighs 49g with the clasps and ribbon.

Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.

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Thanks for taking the time to look.

Code: 51947