Pegu Clasp Face – Contemporary Tailor’s Copy

Pegu 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 “Pegu” 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, reflecting nineteenth-century military tailoring and medal mounting practices.

The original Pegu clasp was awarded to officers and men of the British Army, the East India Company’s forces, and supporting units who served during operations in Pegu, Burma, between 1852 and 1853, following the Second Anglo-Burmese War. Although the war formally concluded in 1852, military operations continued during the pacification of the newly annexed Province of Pegu, where British and Company forces undertook extensive operations against organised resistance.

The campaign was fought in difficult tropical conditions, with troops operating through dense jungle, waterways, and heavily fortified settlements. Infantry, artillery, engineers, and naval brigades were employed to secure towns, maintain communications, and establish British control throughout Lower Burma. The successful campaign resulted in the permanent annexation of Pegu, significantly expanding British influence in the region.

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 Pegu clasp is one of the earliest and most historically significant clasps issued with the India General Service Medal (1854), marking one of Britain’s major nineteenth-century campaigns in Burma. Contemporary tailor’s copy clasp faces 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 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.