As in the American Indian wars of the 19th Century, battles between European settlers and native Maoris were fought in New Zealand. One of the colonial bush fighters was Thomas Adamson. His courage was legendary, but they couldn’t award him a Victoria Cross because he wasn’t in the British Imperial army, so they invented the New Zealand Cross in 1869 and gave him the first one. That Medal will be auctioned in London on September 23. The high estimate is $100,000.
Only 23 of the original medals were awarded, and are considered one of the rarest military honors in the world. Adamson’s is the only medal in private collection outside of New Zealand. It remains to be seen whether a New Zealander will buy it when Dix, Noonan and Webb auctioneers put it on the block.
Read more at Stuff.co.nz
