Description
Ashanti Medal 1900, bar Kumassi, 2719 Private Biga Moshi, Gold Coast Constabulary.
Officially impressed: “2719 Pte Biga Moshi. G.C.C.”
Excellent preserved condition for this issue.
Entitlement to the Medal and clasp “Kumassi” confirmed on the medal roll.
The roll compiled by the Commanding Officer of the G.C.C. stated, that at the time of writing at Kumasai in 17th May 1902, the recipient was still stationed there at “Kumasi”.
During the Third Ashanti War, aka the War of the Golden Stool, started over the so called Stool that the leader of the Ashanti People would use as a throne.
The war was fought in present day Ghana, at the time known as the Gold Coast.
The Golden Stool, also known as the Sika Dwa Kofi, was a symbol of the Ashanti monarchy and the embodiment of their unity and power. In March 1900, a conflict arose when the Ashanti king, Prempeh I, refused to allow the British governor, Sir Frederick Hodgson, to sit on the Golden Stool, as it was seen as a grave insult to the Ashanti people. This event led to a broader confrontation between the Ashanti kingdom and British colonial forces.
The Gold Coast Constabulary was a paramilitary police force established by the British colonial administration to maintain law and order in the Gold Coast. During the War of the Golden Stool, the Constabulary was used by the British to enforce their authority and protect British interests.
The Ashanti resistance, led by Queen Yaa Asantewaa, fought valiantly against the British and their allies. Queen Yaa Asantewaa emerged as a prominent leader during this period and is celebrated for her role in rallying the Ashanti people to defend their independence and the Golden Stool.
The war ultimately ended with the defeat of the Ashanti forces in 1900, and the Ashanti king, Prempeh I, was exiled to the Seychelles. The Golden Stool was also seized by the British. However, the Ashanti people continued to resist British rule, and their fight for independence continued for several more decades until Ghana finally gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1957.
Those that took part in the capture of the stronghold at Kumasi following the siege earned this clasp to the medal.
The war is an important part of Ghanain history as a symbol of resistance against the British Empire.
