Burma 1889-92 Clasp Face – Contemporary Tailor’s Copy for the India General Service Medal (1854)

Burma 1889-92 clasp face – 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 “Burma 1889-92” 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 by collectors as historic artefacts in their own right, reflecting nineteenth-century military tailoring and medal mounting practices.

The original Burma 1889-92 clasp was awarded to officers and men of the British Army, Indian Army, and supporting forces who served during continued operations in Upper Burma between 1889 and 1892. Following the annexation of Burma after the Third Anglo-Burmese War, British and Indian troops remained engaged in a prolonged period of pacification, suppressing armed resistance and maintaining control throughout remote and difficult regions.

Operations during this period involved mobile columns operating through dense jungle, mountainous terrain, and river valleys, where troops faced challenging conditions, limited communications, and determined local opposition. British and Indian Army units, supported by engineers, transport services, and other auxiliary forces, established posts, protected lines of communication, and conducted expeditions to extend and consolidate British administration.

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 specialist collections of Victorian medal components.

The Burma 1889-92 clasp is one of the later Burma-related clasps issued with the India General Service Medal (1854) and remains desirable among collectors of Victorian campaign medals, British Indian Army history, and British Empire militaria. Contemporary tailor’s-copy clasps provide an excellent insight into period military outfitting and are increasingly appreciated for their historical authenticity.

This example would make an excellent addition to a collection of India General Service Medal (1854) 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.