The Medal for the Defense of O’okiep

• Time Period: Pre-WW1
• Year of Institution: 1902
• Country: Great Britain

The Medal for the Defence of O’okiep (also known as the Cape Copper Co. Medal) is a private campaign medal instituted by the Cape Copper Company Limited in 1902 and awarded to members of the O’okiep Garrison who defended the town while it was besieged by Boer Commandos from 4 April to 4 May 1902, near the end of the Second Boer War.

The Cape Copper Company had its origin in the Cape Copper Mining Company, originally established in 1862 or 1863 to take over the copper mining properties of Phillips & King, an enterprise that had been involved in copper mining around O’okiep in Namaqualand since the 1850s. The Cape Copper Mining Company was restructured as the Cape Copper Company in 1888.

The garrison of O’okiep, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel W.A.D. Shelton DSO, consisted of 206 European miners, 660 “Cape Coloureds”, 44 men of the 5th Warwickshire militia and twelve men of the Cape Garrison Artillery who assisted Shelton’s troops.

The Medal for the Defense of Ookiep Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver or bronze and measures 36 millimeters in diameter.

The obverse shows a miner and copper wagon, with the Company name and date of foundation (1888) inscribed around the circumference. The reverse bears a thirteen-lined text.

The ribbon is dark brown with a central green stripe and the medal is fitted with a scroll suspender.