Terminology Question

Good Day

When Queen Victoria issued an award, such as Distinguished Service Order, the recipient received a document signed by the Secretary of State at its foot and endorsed in the top margin with the Queen's signature. (A strange way of doing things, but that is how it was.) My question is - are these documents collectable; and what are they called?

Informed information would be appreciated.

 

Thank you for this information. I have the paperwork for a DSO which I discovered in a bundle of other papers I acquired years ago, no family connection. But it gives me a certain pleasure to have in my hand a document that Queen Victoria herself handled, albeit very briefly. Given her romantic nature perhaps she lingered a little longer thinking of the exploits of these daring young men. So I am surprised they are not more sought after in their own right.

I see you have two Boer war medals there. I have one, from my Great Grandfather, that is similar to the one on the right, except the bars on the ribbon differ. I know it's a digression from my original question, but could you tell me something about it? Also, I like to keep silver polished but I gather it is a big no with medals - how does one clean them?

 

Your family have seen a lot of active military service!

The medal that includes a bar for the seige of Kimberley has an amazing number of bars. My paternal Grandmother was a small child in Kimberley during the seige and, with other children, was lowered down the Big Hole in a basket as a form of protection. (I think those cables that one sees criss-crossing the mine had gondolas hanging from them constructed like baskets).

My father served in WW2 as a young man in his early twenties with the Kimberley/Imperial Light Horse regiment in North Africa and Italy.

Thank you for all your information.