Mafeking Siege Part 2

Mafeking Siege (Part 2)

Mafeking Siege Collectables

Pierre H. Nortje (February 2026)

Our previous article on the Mafeking siege focused on the banknotes that were printed during the period. In Part 2, we will look at other collectables associated with the siege.

Military Medals

Two different clasps for the Queen’s Medal associated with the town of Mafeking exist. The Relief of Mafeking clasp was for troops arriving to break the Boer siege, while the Defence of Mafeking clasp was for those within the besieged garrison who held out from October 1899 to May 1900. Soldiers couldn't receive both, as they were mutually exclusive honours for different phases of the siege, signifying either participation in the relief force or endurance within the town.

Source: AngloBoerWar.com

Out of 178 000 Queen's South Africa medals issued, only about 1307 of them were entitled to wear the Defence of Mafeking clasp, and only about 1166 were issued in total. This makes it the scarcest clasp of the Anglo-Boer War. The Relief of Mafeking clasp is more common.

Stamps

At the beginning of the siege, stamps of Great Britain and the Cape of Good Hope were surcharged and overprinted “Mafeking Besieged.” The following are a few examples.

Source: stampworld.com

When the Mafeking Post Office ran out of stamps, the Postmaster suggested to the officer in charge, Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, that he commission the local printer to print stamps, for use within the town. This was agreed to. However, the printer, not wishing to encroach on the Royal Mail's prerogative, decided to use a picture of Baden-Powell, instead of that of Queen Victoria. Two stamps were issued: a one-penny, with a photograph of Cadet Sgt. Major Goodyear on a bicycle, and a threepenny, with a photograph of Baden-Powell.

Source: stampworld.com

Commemorative Medals

On his website southafricanmedals.com, Professor Michael Laidlaw lists more than a dozen commemorative medals relating to the Siege. Virtually all of them show the bust of Baden-Powell and were made in both England and Australia in 1900. They were struck in various metals like gold, silver, bronze and pewter. The following are two examples from Laidlaw’s website, South African Commerotive Medals, which our readers are encouraged to visit.

Siege Money and Good Fors

During the siege, tickets were issued to manage severe food shortages among the besieged population. These tickets served as currency for survival as regular food supplies dwindled. Two types are known being soup and sowen tickets. Soup was made from, among other ingredients, horse meat, while sowen is a traditional Scottish dish made by soaking the husks of oats in water until fermented, then boiling the liquid into a sour, jelly-like porridge. See the tickets below.

Source: Paper Currency of the Anglo-Boer War by John Ineson

Ceramics and Glass

Beautiful pieces exist with the following two pictures as examples. The inscription on the jug with the dog (“Creaky”) handle reads “The heroic defender of Mafeking --- BP --- Sit tight and shoot straight --- Telegram from Colonel Baden Powell --- October 21st 1899. All well --- four hours bombardment --- one dog killed --- Here he is on the handle --- Telegram from Mafeking --- We can stick it out for 2 months more --- All well --- Nobody minds --- Mafeking Relieved May 17th 1900 --- God Save the Queen”.

Source: Pieter Oosthuizen

Trench Art

Trench art refers to decorative (souvenirs) or functional items made from the debris and by-products of armed conflict. While the term originated during World War I, it encompasses items from various conflicts ranging from the Napoleonic Wars to modern-day battles. The Anglo-Boer War, and specifically the Siege of Mafeking, is no exception and offers a wide and very interesting field for both militaria and numismatic collectors. The following are some of the items we have found on the internet that caught our eye: -

The image of Robert Baden-Powell is instantly recognisable on this small wooden table, a testament to the craftsmanship of the artist. The initials 'B.P.' (Baden-Powell) were also carved, along with 'Mafeking' and a date of 'May 17th 1900', the day the siege ended.

Source: Vintage.co.uk

The item below left shows a bullet (length: 31mm, diameter: 7mm) engraved “Mafeking Siege” to be warned as a pendant. (Source: Bobshop) and on the right a trench art scuttle, also called a coal bucket or coal pail, engraved “Mafeking Siege, 1899”. It stands 7 cm high and is 9 cm long. (Source Carters.com)

The following item is a bracelet featuring two pendants depicting two of the most iconic figures of the Boer War: Colonel Baden-Powell and Lord Roberts. The former is inscribed "MAFEKING" and "B.P." with the date "MAY 17 1900," commemorating the relief of the besieged town. The bracelet is crafted from twisted silver-toned metal. (Source: militariazone.com).

According to AngloBoerWar.com, the war sparked quite an industry in the various siege towns. One of the first to start manufacturing souvenirs was a person called Joseph Gerrans, who had workshops in Mafeking. His antics led to tragedy when a 6-inch Creusot shell exploded while he was working on it to remove the fuse, and a passerby was killed. According to the Mafeking Mail, Gerrans did not return to his workshop until 20th February 1900 and then continued his souvenir making. He presented the British statesman Joseph Chamberlain with a clock made from a Long Tom shell when he visited Mafeking in January 1903. The late Queen also had an example, which can still be seen at Sandringham. The following are items believed to have been made by Gerrans in Mafeking.

The following are more items made by Joseph Gerrans.

Source: AngloBoerWar.com

Regarding Mafeking numismatic trench art pieces, the following are a few examples, the first being both Victorian pennies dated 1900, showing “Mafeking” in graffiti. The one on the left was pierced by a bullet.

Sources: worthpoint.com and southafricanmedals.com.

The following picture shows spittoons made out of the bases of the 94-pounders, with Kruger coins inserted in the concave, the idea being that of spitting on Kruger’s face.

Source: AngloBoerWar.com

Ephemera

This collecting field refers to items like commemorative letters, photographs, cigarette cards, posters, music, postcards, etchings, caricatures, illustrations, games, sermons, advertisements, announcements, official documents, etc. The following pictures are examples: -

Source: The Collectors’ Shop, Getty Images and lookandlearn.com

Postscript

Collectors of numismatic pieces relating to the Boer War would be advised to acquire Ray Leppan’s booklet ZAR Coin Pieces of Original Art, published in 2008, and Paper Currency of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 by John Ineson, published in 1999.

However, for the Boer War collector in general, the standard work is regarded as Pieter Oosthuizen’s Boer War Memorabilia – The Collectors’ Guide, published in 1987.