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Great Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising Medals

Great Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising MedalsGreat Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising Medals
Great Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising MedalsGreat Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising Medals
Great Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising MedalsGreat Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising Medals
Great Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising MedalsGreat Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising Medals
Great Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising MedalsGreat Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising Medals
Great Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising MedalsGreat Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising Medals
Great Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising MedalsGreat Britain: Boer War: Wills Tobacco: Set of Advertising Medals
Form: Circular with attached loop
By: ?
Date: 1900
Ref:  AM: 48, 52; Hern: 114, 122; Laidlaw: 0197;
Variations:
SizeMetalMassValue
16.2 mmYellow Bronze1.3 gm$30 - $80

Edge: Plain.

Obverse: Eight different types:
(1) Roberts, in uniform, bareheaded, front. Legend: “LORD ROBERTS”
(2) Kitchener in uniform, bareheaded, front and turned slightly to the right. Legend: “GENERAL LORD KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM”
(3) Buller, in uniform with cap, front. Legend: “GENERAL SIR REDVERS H. BULLER”.
(4) White, in uniform, bareheaded, front. Legend above: “LADYSMITH’S HEROIC DEFENDER” and below between stars: “GENERAL WHITE”.
(5) Baden-Powel, in uniform with hat, front. Legend above: “THE HERO OF MAFEKING” and below between stars: “COL. BADEN POWELL”.
(5) French, in uniform, bareheaded, half left. “MAJ. GEN. FRENCH”
(7) Standing British soldier, front and head turned to the right. Legend divided by the head: “A GENTLE .. MAN IN KHAKI”.
(8) Queen Victoria, crowned and veiled, left. Legend: "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN".


Reverse: Six different types. All have the legend: “W.D. & H.O. WILLS LIMITED” with a star at the foot. Text within a beaded border:
(1) “WILLS’S / SUPERFINE / SHAG / (line)”.
(2) “THE / THREE / CASTLES (line) / CIGARETTES (in an arc)”.
(3) “CAPSTAIN (in an arc) / NAVY CUT / CIGARETTES / AND / TOBACCO (in an arc)”.
(4) “WESTWARD (in an arc) / HO! / SMOKING / MIXTURE”.
(5) “WILLS’S (in an arc) / GOLD / FLAKE / CIGARETTES / AND / TOBACCO (in an arc)”.
(6) “WILLS’S / FINE SHAG / IN / (line) / AIRTIGHT TINS (in an arc)”.


Notes: These were advertising medalettes. Probably, like cigarette cards, they were inserted into the packaging.

It is not known if all combinations of obverse and reverse exist. The recorded combinations are:
Superfine Shag: Roberts, Kitchener, Buller, White, French, Victoria.
Three Castles: Roberts, Kitchener, Buller, White, Baden-Powell, French, Gentleman in Khaki.
Capstan Navy Cut: Roberts, Kitchener, Buller, White.
Westward Ho: Roberts, Baden-Powell.
Gold Flake: Roberts, Gentleman in Khaki.
Fine Shag: Roberts, Kitchener.

Wills Tobacco Company was founded in the late eighteenth century by Henry Overton Wills. The firm takes its title from the two sons of the founder, William Day Wills and Henry Overton Wills the second, who succeeded to the business in 1826. In the early days WD & HO Wills had premises at Mary-le-Port Street and Redcliff Street, Bristol. In 1886 the firm moved to Bedminster, Bristol, where the manufacturing and office blocks now cover a large area. In addition there are subsidiary factories at Ashton Gate (Bristol), Swindon, Newcastle upon Tyne and Dublin, and offices and warehouses in London, Glasgow and Belfast.

Laidlaw 0174a and 0174b are uniface examples for Buller and Roberts respectively.