Gambia 1894 Clasp – Contemporary Tailor’s Copy

Gambia 1894 clasp – contemporary tailor’s copy, period-made example of the campaign clasp awarded with the East and West Africa Medal for service during the Gambia Expedition of 1894.

This contemporary tailor’s copy faithfully reproduces the “Gambia 1894” clasp, one of the campaign bars awarded to recipients of the East and West Africa Medal for participation in military operations in the Gambia during 1894. Unlike modern reproductions, tailor’s copies were manufactured during or shortly after the Victorian period for wear on uniforms, display, or as privately purchased replacements when original medals or clasps were unavailable. These period-made copies are recognised by collectors as historic artefacts in their own right, reflecting the practices of nineteenth-century military outfitters.

The original Gambia 1894 clasp was authorised for officers and men of the British Army, the West India Regiment, and locally raised colonial forces who took part in operations to suppress unrest and reinforce British authority within the Gambia Protectorate. The expedition formed part of Britain’s wider efforts to consolidate colonial administration and secure stability in West Africa during the late Victorian era.

Campaigns in West Africa were often conducted in difficult tropical conditions, with soldiers facing challenging terrain, extreme climate, and endemic disease in addition to military operations. Although relatively small in scale compared with other imperial campaigns, the Gambia Expedition formed an important part of Britain’s expanding colonial commitments on the West African coast.

Contemporary tailor’s copies were frequently produced by military outfitters to closely replicate officially issued clasps for wear on uniforms or as replacement components. While not officially issued by the Crown, these Victorian-period copies remain highly collectable due to their historical authenticity and their association with period military dress and medal mounting practices.

This example represents an attractive period-made copy of a scarce Victorian campaign clasp and would make an excellent addition to a collection of British Empire campaign medals, East and West Africa Medal clasps, or nineteenth-century military memorabilia.

Dimensions

Approx. 36mm × 16mm

Condition

Good overall period condition, with age-related wear consistent with a contemporary tailor’s copy. Minor surface marks, light rubbing, and signs of handling or long-term storage may be present. An attractive and well-preserved example of a scarce Victorian campaign clasp.