Northwest Frontier Clasp Face – Contemporary Tailor’s Copy

North West Frontier clasp face – a contemporary tailor’s copy, period-made replacement face plate for the India General Service Medal (1854) campaign clasp.

This contemporary tailor’s copy faithfully reproduces the front face of the “North West Frontier” clasp issued with the India General Service Medal (1854). Unlike modern reproductions, these period-made tailor’s copies were manufactured during or shortly after the Victorian period by military outfitters for wear on uniforms, replacement of damaged clasps, or completion of privately mounted medal groups. Today, they are recognised as historic artefacts in their own right, illustrating nineteenth-century military tailoring and medal-mounting practices.

The original North West Frontier clasp was awarded to officers and men of the British Army and Indian Army who served during qualifying operations along the volatile North West Frontier of British India. The clasp covered a number of military expeditions undertaken to secure the frontier against tribal resistance and to protect strategically important mountain passes and communication routes bordering Afghanistan.

As this example is the clasp face only, it represents the engraved front plate that would originally have been fitted to the clasp body. Original clasp faces are considerably scarcer than complete clasps, having often been separated during repairs, alterations, or restoration work over many decades. They are particularly sought after by collectors undertaking sympathetic restoration of original campaign medals or assembling reference collections of Victorian medal components.

The North West Frontier clasp remains one of the most recognisable campaign bars associated with the India General Service Medal (1854), commemorating Britain’s long series of frontier operations during the nineteenth century. Contemporary tailor’s copy clasp faces provide an interesting insight into period military outfitting and remain desirable additions to collections of British Empire campaign medals and Victorian militaria.

This example would make an excellent addition to a collection of India General Service Medal components, British campaign medal restorations, or Victorian military memorabilia.

Dimensions

Approx. 36mm × 12mm

Condition

Good overall period condition, with age-related wear consistent with a contemporary tailor’s copy. Light rubbing, surface marks, and signs of previous fitting may be present. An attractive and increasingly scarce period-made clasp face suitable for restoration, display, or specialist collecting.