TOPIC:

Thank you very much for the info. I guess I paid a bit too much for this example, but that isn't a first for me. But it may still have some sort of interesting story to be pieced together. Even though he wasn't entitled to the clasps, any thoughts on what I should do? Should I have the clasps removed? Or leave them be, in other pictures (I haven't got the medal yet) from what I can see the clasps look like they weren't added?

I believe I have seen Mr. Asplin name before. I'll need to contact him as I have a handful of medals and groups back to the Crimean war and past WWII that I'd love to know more about. Do you know if he is part of this community?

Cheers.

ksjhrs@gmail.com
Go to the Contacts bar above and follow the prompts for Kevin Asplin contact. His costs are very moderate and his expertise is considerable.
Regarding the Downs QSA, I would leave it as it is. You are not the first to be in that situation; in my early QSA collecting days, I was fooled by an engraved job from a local dealer. In those days, a pretty fast and loose attitude existed here in OZ about renaming in some circles. You never know, research about Downs might turn up a story.
Regards
IL.

Sorry another newbie question. In your original reply you mentioned a Fevyer and Wilson roll....is the a book or is it available online? That fact that you could tell from that resource that Downs was not entitled to the clasps would have been useful in my decision making.

Thanks again for your helping me.

Yes, it is available from the Naval and Military press; a concern with which I have no connection apart from buying the odd book on line.
Regards
IL.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

IGS 1854 (1) Perak (W. Jones. P.O. 1st Cl., H.M.S. Modeste), with a later engraved asterisk decoration between surname and rank;
Egypt (0) (W. Jones, Bos’n. R.N., H.M.S. “Euphrates”);
QSA (0) (Ch. Bosn. W. Jones. R.N., H.M.S. Monarch);
RN LS&GC VR (Wm. Jones. C.M. Top, H.M.S. Modeste) engraved naming;
Khedive’s Star 1882, unnamed as issued

William Jones was born at Carrig-too-Hill, Co. Cork, in January 1846 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in February 1861. His subsequent stints of active service comprised time aboard H.M.S. Modeste as a Petty Officer 1st Class off the Malay Peninsula in 1875-76, which earned him the India General Service 1854-95, with ‘Perak’ clasp, and time aboard H.M.S. Euphrates as a Boatswain in the Egypt operations of 1882, which earned him the Egypt 1882-89 Medal, without clasp, and the Khedive’s Star 1882. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in August 1875.

In December 1895, Jones went out to South Africa to join the receiving ship Penelope, but was actually employed ashore ‘for Cape Yard’. When the Penelope was replaced by the Monarch in May 1897, he was similarly borne on the books of that ship, but continued with his duties ashore, and, at the time of the Boer War, was appointed Boatswain of Simon’s Town Dockyard, with charge of assorted ‘Kroomen’. Awarded the Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902 Medal, without clasp, he returned home in February 1901 and was pensioned ashore that April. He died in October 1915.

The group to Boatswain Jones sold for a hammer price of GBP 1,300. Total GBP 1,674. R 38,550. AUD 3,120. NZD 3,390. CAD 2,770. USD 2,040. EUR 1,880