Description
Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal, 2 bars, Transkei, Basutoland, Private J. Zinn, Cape Town Highlanders. A rare confirmed 2 bar medal of which only 585 have 2 clasps.
Officially impressed: “Pte J. Zinn. C.T. Rangers.”
Excellent condition.
Naming impressed in the “Cape Style” seen on local issues of the medal done by the Jeweller Sceales & Armstrong’s circa 1903-9 in Cape Town.
There is only 1 applicable “J. Zinn” born during this period, who happens to also be a Cape Town local, where he born and died.
Joseph Zinn, was born in Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa, on 19th January 1863, and baptised there on 19th February 1869.
The son of William & Sophia Zinn.
He would have been about 18 years old when he took part in the Basuto Gun War and Transkeian Rebellion during 1880-1881.
He married Johanna Hartoght at Cape Town on 27th July 1885 at St George Cathedral in the city, at which time he was working as a Shoemaker living at 10 Caledon Street.
This medal, the Cape of Good Hope GSM was not instituted until 2 decades later in 1900, as a retrospective award for the 3 campaigns between 1880 & 1897.
Relatively few medals would be issued, as it had to be claimed by surviving recipients up to 20 years on from the campaigns leading to only about 5,252 medals to be issued to 5156 individuals, including some 96 duplicate or triplicate issues.
Out of these only 585 were issued with 2 clasps on the medal, of which 490 were this example with “Transkei” and “Basutoland” bars.
