History

The Kimberly Star was issued by the mayor of Kimberly, H.A. Oliver, to members of the garrison, or next of kin, who served 90 days in the siege of Kimberley during the Anglo-Boer War between October 1, 1899, and February 28, 1900. Silver Stars were generally awarded, however, 2 Gold Stars were awarded to H.A. Oliver and to R. Archibald of DeBeers. It is estimated that 5000 Silver Stars were issued.

The Kimberley Star was an unofficial award and was not authorized to be worn on the uniform of British troops. However, the campaign was officially recognized by with the “DEFENCE OF KIMBERLEY” and “RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY” clasps awarded with the Queen’s South Africa Medal.

There are multiple versions of the Silver Star which differ by maker’s mark. The Silver Star was struck by Darby and Sons and Birmingham and features the hallmarks, “a,” “b,” “c,” or “d” on the reverse to denote the year. The Silver Star marked with “a” denotes the year 1900, and is expected to be the most valuable.