South African Medallion Sets of the 1970s & 1980s
Pierre H. Nortje (April 2024)
Introduction
During the 1970s and 1980s, it was very popular worldwide for private companies to strike collectable thematic medallion sets, usually in silver, and present them in beautifully crafted wooden cabinets or display albums.
South Africa was no exception.
In this paper, we will discuss some of these sets. Readers are encouraged to visit Professor Michael Laidlaw’s South African Commemorative Medals website from which much of the information in this article was sourced. The pictures on his website are truly exceptional. In 2016, Prof. Laidlaw received the National Numismatic Society’s bronze medal for the work he has done on his website.
Throughout the years, the South African Mint has also produced medallion sets, but these were usually 2 or 3-piece sets, and as they were struck by the official Mint, are not included in this paper.
It is also important to mention that the words medal and medallion are interchangeably used by the author; the word “medal” is usually associated with military and sporting awards, whilst “medallion” usually refers to commemorative issues. In Afrikaans, the words “medalje” and “medaljon” are used as well as “penning” as in “erepenning” and “gedenkpenning”.
The Medallic History of South Africa: 60 Medal Set issued between 1973 and 1978
The 60 gilded silver medals were issued monthly over a five-year period between 1973 and 1978. The complete set is housed in a wooden cabinet with four sliding trays. Each tray holds 15 medals, 5 across by 3 deep and is lined with red or green velvet. They are 45 mm in diameter and weigh between 36 and 40 grams each.
The set is accompanied by a South African Bureau of Standards certificate stating that the medals were struck for the Africana Commemorative Mint. There is also a compilation of historical notes by M.M. Crawford. The medals were made by E. Tiessen Pty. Ltd, manufacturing Jewelers of Johannesburg.
The medallions are the following: -
(1) BARTHOLOMEU DIAZ AT KWAAIHOEK 1488
(2) VAN RIEBEECK LANDS AT THE CAPE 1652
(3) WINE TRADITION ESTABLISHED 1659 – 1699
(4) CASTLE OF GOOD HOPE
(5) GOVERNOR VAN DER STELL 1679
(6) ARRIVAL OF THE HUGUENOTS 1688
(7) GROOT CONSTANTIA 1691
(8) THE FIRST MISSION STATION 1737
(9) JONGE THOMAS SHIPWRECK 1773
(10) VAN PLETTENBERG BEACON 1778
(11) LADY ANNE BARNARD 1797
(12) BRITISH CAPTURE THE CAPE 1806
(13) SHAKA ZULU KING 1820
(14) THE 1820 SETTLERS 1820
(15) EMANCIPATION OF THE SLAVES 1834
(16) THE GREAT TREK 1836
(17) THE BATTLE OF BLOOD RIVER 1838
(18) BRITISH OCCUPY NATAL 1842
(19) DICK KING'S RIDE 1842
(20) TRANSVAAL INDEPENDENCE 1852
(21) RECONCILIATION OF PRETORIUS AND POTGIETER 1852
(22) FIRST CAPE PARLIAMENT 1854
(23) ORANGE FREE STATE INDEPENDENCE 1854
(24) GOVERNOR GEORGE GREY 1854
(25) FOUNDING OF PRETORIA 1855
(26) FIRST RAILWAY 1859
(27) PRESIDENT JAN HENDRIK BRAND 1863
(28) DISCOVERY OF DIAMONDS 1867
(29) MOSHWESHWE 1869
(30) KIMBERLEY MINE 1871
(31)”OM TE STAAN VIR ONS TAAL, ONS NASIE EN ONS LAND. 25 SEPTEMBER 1875”
(32) SHEPSTONE ANNEXES TRANSVAAL 1877
(33) BATTLE OF ISANDHLWANA 1879
(34) JAN HENDRIK HOFMEYR 1879
(35) BATTLE OF MAJUBA 1881
(36) OLIVE SCHREINER 1883
(37) PRESIDENT PAUL KRUGER 1884
(38) DISCOVERY OF GOLD 1886
(39) CECIL JOHN RHODES 1890
(40) MOHANDAS K. GANDHI 1893
(41) JAMESON RAID 1895
(42) THE ANGLO-BOERE WAR 1899-1901
(43) BATTLE OF SPION KOP 1900
(44) RELIEF OF LADYSMITH 1900
(45) LORD ALFRED MILNER 1901
(46) PEACE OF VEREENIGING 1902
(47) JAMES STEVENSON-HAMILTON 1902
(48) GENERAL JC SMUTS 1906
(49) JOCK OF THE BUSHVELD 1907
(50) FOUNDING OF ONDERSTEPOORT 1908
(51) UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA 1910
(52) FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918
(53) SA FORCES CAPTURE WINDHOEK 1915
(54) RAND MINES STRIKE 1922
(55) ROBERT BROOM AND RAYMOND DART 1924
(56) N.P. VAN WYK LOUW 1939
(57) SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945
(58) REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA 31 MAY 1961
(59) SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR TRANSKEI 1963
(60) WORLD’S FIRST HEART TRANSPLANT 1967
Generals of the Anglo-Boer War: Medal Set
There were two different sets issued that might cause some confusion to collectors.
From 1975 and 1979 a set of twenty medallions were produced by the Transvaal Medallion Society and in 1977 twelve medals were issued by the South African Historical Mint.
The gilded fine silver medallions in the set by the Transvaal Medallion Society weigh approximately 60 grams with a diameter of 51 mm each. The medals were either individually encased inside a red leather case lined with white silk and red velvet with the name of the general in gilt on the outside of the lid and "TMS" (Transvaal Medallion Society) on the inside. Alternatively, all 20 medals (Boer and British) were issued inside a large red leather case lined with white silk and red velvet with "Generals Generaals / Anglo-Boer War Anglo-Boere Oorlog / 1899-1902" in gilt on the outside of the lid and "TMS" on the inside.
The English Generals
MAJOR GENERAL LORD KITCHENER
FIELD MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS
BRIG.-GENERAL H. MCDONALD
MAJ.-GENERAL R.S.S. BADEN-POWELL
LT. GENERAL H.M.J. RUNDLE
MAJ.-GEN. E.R.P. WOODGATE
GENERAL A.G. WAUCHOPE
MAJOR GENERAL N.G. LYTTELTON
MAJOR GENERAL H.E. COLVILE
LT. GENERAL LORD METHUEN
The Boer Generals
KMDT.-GENERAAL LOUIS BOTHA
GENERAAL P.A. CRONJE
GENERAAL J.C. SMUTS
GENERAAL J.H. DE LA REY
GENERAAL C. DE WET
GENERAAL J.B.M. HERTZOG
GENERAAL L. MEYER
GENERAAL J.C.G. KEMP
GENERAAL DE VILLEBOIS-MAREUIL
GENERAAL H.L. LEMMER
The second set of silver 12 medals (not gilded) was issued by the South African Historical Mint. Each medal weighs 41 grams and is 45 mm in diameter (The diameter and mass may vary slightly). The medals come inside an oblong blue leather case for two rows of six medals per row lined with silk and blue velvet. In gilded letters on the outside of the lid: "(logo - reverse medal image) / SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORICAL MINT / GENERALS OF THE ANGLO-BOER WAR" and similarly on the inside without the logo. There is a numbered certificate signed by the director of the South African Historical Mint which states that the mintage was 5 000.
The English Generals
FREDERICK ROBERTS
REDVERS BULLER
HORATIO KITCHENER
JOHN FRENCH
ROBERT BADEN-POWELL
The Boer Generals
PIETER CRONJE
JACOBUS DE LA REY
CHRISTIAAN DE WET
LOUIS BOTHA
JAMES HERZOG
JAN SMUTS
GEORGE VILLEBOIS-MAREUIL
Helde van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog: Six-piece Sterling Silver Proof Set
The SA Historical Mint also issued a set depicting 6 of the 7 Boer Generals listed above, Pieter Arnoldus Cronje (1836-1911), Jan Christian Smuts (1870-1950), James Barry Munnik Hertzog (1866-1942), Louis Botha (1862-1919), Christiaan Rudolf de Wet (1854-1922) and Jacobus Hercules de la Rey (1847-1914). Each medal contains 1 Oz of silver.
Wildlife Society 50th Anniversary 24-piece Medallion Set (1976 – 1978)
The set was issued by the Africana Commemorative Mint and comes inside a wooden case (4 rows of six gilded silver medals) with maroon leather on the outside of the lid. The leather is embossed with the emblem of the Wildlife Society and the text “THE / WILDLIFE SOCIETY / OF SOUTHERN AFRICA” in gold letters and below that “50TH ANNIVERSARY MEDALLION SET” in larger black letters. The whole is contained within an ornate rectangular border in gold. The inside of the lid is maroon satin and marked with the emblem of the Africana Commemorative mint and the text “DIE AFRICANA HERDENKINGSMUNT”.
Also inside the case is a pamphlet written by Michael Lanman which devotes a page to a description of each animal. In addition, there is a certificate stating that the medals are gold-plated sterling silver and that the issue is limited to 10 000 sets. One medal was issued each month between July 1976 and June 1978. It weighs approx. 36 grams and has a diameter of 45 mm.
The animals depicted are the following: -
(1) Baboon
(2) Buffalo
(3) Cheetah
(4) Crocodile
(5) Elephant
(6) Fish Eagle
(7) Giraffe
(8) Green Mamba
(9) Hippopotamus
(10) Hyena
(11) Impala
(12) Jackal
(13) Kudu
(14) Leopard
(15) Lion
(16) Oryx
(17) Rhinoceros
(18) Sable Antelope
(19) Secretary Bird
(20) Vervet Monkey
(21) Warthog
(22) Waterbuck
(23) Wildebeest
(24) Zebra
The Cape Coin Heritage Set by the Africana Commemorative Mint (1978)
The Cape Coin Heritage Set comprises 30 metallic replicas of foreign coins which circulated during the early days in the Cape region of South Africa. Each coin weighs approx. 37 grams and is 45 mm in diameter. They were struck in gilded sterling silver.
The set comes inside a wooden case with a blue ceramic tile on the outside of the lid. In the centre of the tile is a medallion showing a sailing ship "1600 (left) 1843 (right). Legend above "THE AFRICANA COMMEMORATIVE MINT / OUR CAPE COIN HERITAGE" and below "ONS KAAPSE MUNTERFENIS / DIE AFRICANA HERDENKINGSMUNT".
The case is lined on the inside with red velvet fitted for 5 rows of six medals per row. The rows are divided in half vertically by a wooden slat naming each row "The Dutch Collection", "The British Collection", "The Seaborne Empires", "The Dollar Dynasties" and "Tavern of the Seas".
The set comes with a booklet by Professor M.T.W Arnheim giving the background of each coin replica. There is also a signed certificate from both the South African Bureau of Standards and the Africana Commemorative Mint stating that the issue was limited to 5000 sets.
The Dutch Collection
Netherlands, Zeeland: 1672 Hoedjes-Schelling
Netherlands: 1673 Silver Rijder
Netherlands: 1674 Rijksdaalder
Netherlands: 1682 Three-Guilder Piece
Batavia Republic: 1800 Three-Guilder Piece
Batavia Republic: 1809 Louis Napoleon Rijksdaalder
The Seaborne Empires
British East India Company: 1600 Elizabeth I Four Reales
Dutch East India Company: 1745 One Duit
Brazil: 1783 320 Reis
Dutch East Indies, South Africa: 1802 Quarter Ships Guilden
Ceylon: 1821 George IV Rix Dollar
British East India Company: 1834 William IV One Rupee
The British Collection
Great Britain: 1662 Charles II Crown
Great Britain: 1692 William And Mary Crown
Great Britain: 1703 Anne Crown
Great Britain: 1736 George II Crown
Great Britain: 1797 George III “Cartwheel" Penny
Great Britain: 1818 George III Crown
The Dollar Dynasties
Spain: 1691 “Piece of Eight” 8 Reales
Spain: 1732 Philip V Dollar
Spain, Great Britain: 1791 Charles IV Mexican Dollar
Austria: 1780.X Maria Theresa Thaler
Austria: 1805 Francis II Thaler
Prussia: 1803 Frederick William III Thaler
The Tavern of the Seas
France: 1709 Louis XIV Half Ecu
Portugal: 1712 Moidore
Venice: 1769 One Scudo
Russia: 1789 Catherine II Five Kopeks
France: 1813 Napoleon I Twenty Francs
France: 1817 Louis XVIII Twenty Francs
Zulu War Centenary Set of Eight Medals by the SA Historical Mint (1979)
The set comes inside a blue presentation case with two rows of four medals. On the outside of the lid in gold lettering “ZULU WAR / CENTENARY / MEDALLION ISSUE / 1879-1979”. On the inside of the lid in silver lettering “SOUTH AFRICAN / HISTORICAL MINT”. The medals are protected inside plastic capsules. There is a numbered certificate from the SA Historical Mint which states that the mintage was 2 000 sets. Each medal was struck in sterling silver and weighs approx. 24 grams and is 35 mm in diameter.
BATTLE OF ISANDHLWANA
RELIEF OF RORKE’S DRIFT
ESCAPE ACROSS THE BUFFALO
DEATH OF A ZULU
SAVING THE COLOUR
END OF A DYNASTY *
BATTLE OF ULUNDI
CAPTURE OF CETEWAYO
* The medal: “END OF A DYNASTY” refers to the death of the Prince Imperial of France.
Pioneers of Southern Africa: Set of 24 or 26 Silver Medals (1980-81)
There are two sets, one with 26 medals and one with 24 medals, the latter excluding the issues depicting Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama. The sizes and weights that Laidlaw gives, are a bit confusing as he records that the medals in the set of 26 are 32.5 mm in diameter and weigh 20.1 grams each but in the set of 24, the medals are larger (35.2 mm) but weigh less (15.1 grams).
Set of 26
All the medals listed below are present. This set appears to have been struck in both Cape Town (those signed by Pagliari) and Rhodesia (those signed by Trevor Wood).
Issued in a red leather case inscribed "(coat of arms) / SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORICAL MINT / PIONEERS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA" in gilt on the outside of the lid. Lined on the inside with white silk and red velvet. The medals are arranged in 5 rows the middle row having 6 medals and the other rows 5 medals.
Set of 24
All the medals illustrated are present except for the first two medals of the Portuguese navigators. Issued in a red leather case inscribed "(coat of arms) / SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORICAL MINT / PIONEERS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA" in gilt on the outside of the lid. Lined on the inside with white silk, similarly inscribed and red velvet. The medals are arranged in 3 rows of 8 divided vertically into a left and right section. Each medal is protected inside a transparent hard-plastic capsule.
The set comes with a certificate from the SA Historical Mint dated 31 July 1980 stating that the issue was limited to 2 000 sets. It also comes with an A4-size 126-page hardcover book written by Philip Bateman covering the lives of each of the following pioneers in the set: -
BARTOLOMEU DIAS. c1450 - 1500
VASCO DA GAMA. C1460/69 - 1524
JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1619-1677
SIMON VAR DER STEL 1639-1712
ROBERT JACOB GORDON 1743-1795
LADY ANNE BARNARD. 1750-1825
SIR JOHN BARROW. 1764-1848
FRANCOIS LE VAILLANT 1753-1824
PIET RETIEF. 1780-1833
WILLIAM JOHN BURCHELL. 1781-1863
DR. MARTIN LICHTENSTEIN. 1780-1857
SIR HARRY SMITH. 1787-1860
THOMAS PRINGLE. 1789-1834
ANDRIES PRETORIUS. 1798-1853
ROBERT MOFFAT. 1795-1883
SIR WILLIAM CORNWALLIS HARRIS. 1807-1848
DR. W.G. ATHERSTONE 1814-1898
DAVID LIVINGSTONE. 1813-1873
THOMAS BAINES. 1820-1875
KARL GOTTLIEB MAUCH. 1837-1875
FREDERICK COURTNEY SELOUS. 1851-1917
REV. ANDREW MURRAY 1828-1911
BARNEY BARNATO. 1852-1897
CECIL JOHN RHODES. 1853-1902
EMILY HOBHOUSE. 1860-1926
HERBERT BAKER. 1862-1946
The Stamps of Royalty Silver Replica Set by the Africana Commemorative Mint
Issued to coincide with the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth in 1977. There are 25 sterling silver stamp replicas with a total weight of 462 grams. Comes with a descriptive booklet and is displayed in a wooden case. The sets were issued as both gilded silver and non-gilded silver issues.
The stamps are the following: -
1) 6d EIIR Coronation, 3rd June 1953
2) 11p EIIR Silver Jubilee 1977
3) 10s Ultramarine Definitive, 1969
4) 13p EIIR Silver Jubilee, 1977
5) 1s 3d EIIR Coronation, 3rd June,1953
6) The Penny Red, 1854
7) 4d Carmine, 1855
8) Pound Brown-Lilac, 1878
9) The 5 Pound 'Telegraph' Stamp 1882
10) The 2 and Half d 'Jubilee Stamp', 1887
11) 1d Red Definitive,1902
12) 10s Blue, 1920
13) 1 Pound 'Long Green', 1902
14) 1d Red Definitive, 1912
15) The 'Sea Horses', 1913
16) British Empire Exhibition, 1924
17) George V's Silver Jubilee, May 1935
18) 1d Red Definitive, 1936
19) 1d Scarlet, 1937
20) 'The Coat of Arms', 1939
21) The 1 Pound Brown, 1948
22) 'Peace and Reconstruction' 1946
23) The Royal Silver Wedding, 1948
24) 'St. George and the Dragon', 1951
25) 1d Blue Definitive, 1953
Three Centuries of Royalty: Sixteen Silver Medal Set commemorating British Kings and Queens (1982)
The set was produced to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. Comes inside a red leather-like fitted case, lined in the inside with white silk-like and red velvet-like material. On the outside of the lid in gilt "(coat of arms of the SA Historical Mint) / SOUTH AFRICAN / HISTORICAL MINT". There is a numbered certificate dated 4 January 1982 from the South African Historical Mint stating that 1 000 sets were issued. There is also a descriptive pamphlet.
The silver medals are 35.1 mm in diameter and weighs 20 grams each. They depict the following kings and queens: -
(1) CHARLES II 1660-1685
(2) JAMES II 1685-1688
(3) WILLIAM III 1685-1702
(4) MARY 1688-1694
(5) ANNE 1702-1714
(6) GEORGE I 1714-1727
(7) GEORGE II 1727-1760
(8) GEORGE III 1760-1820
(9) GEORGE IV 1820-1830
(10) WILLIAM IV 1830-1837
(11) VICTORIA 1837-1901
(12) EDWARD VII 1901-1910
(13) GEORGE V 1910-1936
(14) EDWARD VIII 1936
(15) GEORGE VI 1936-1952
(16) ELIZABETH II 1952
Silver Proof Set: The Kings and Queens of England - 50 medallions
This set, also issued by the Cape Historical Mint, is similar to the set above but consists of 50 medallions of which 41 were struck in 0.925 sterling silver and 9 medallions in 0.999 fine silver. All medallions weigh an average of 20 grams.
RSA 1974/5 Definitive Stamp Replica Set
The set consists of 16 gold-plated sterling silver stamp replicas designed by Ernst De Jong. The medals are displayed in an Africana Commemorative Mint wooden display case. Total weight approx. 535g.
South African Stamp Heritage Gold Gilded Sterling Silver 25-piece Medallion Set
In 1978 cardholders of Standard Bank were invited by the Africana Commemorative Mint to invest in the so-called “South African Stamp Heritage Collection”. Herman Steyn, the then Director of Philatelic Services at the Department of Posts and Telecommunications, was commissioned to select the most significant of South Africa’s stamp classics of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal (ZAR), Stellaland, Mafeking, British South African Company (Rhodesia), British Bechuanaland and Zululand.
Twenty-five stamps were selected, and proof-quality replicas of these were minted in gold-plated sterling silver. The medallions weigh from just less than 10 grams up to 23 grams each. According to the original prospectus, “…the master striking dies will be defaced on completion of the minting (process), to protect the integrity of the collection. They will be housed in the Postal Museum, Pretoria”. The collection comes set in a traditional handcrafted collector’s cabinet lined in velvet.
A similar set with 10 replica stamps was produced by the Africana Commemorative Mint in 18ct gold. It was a limited edition of 500 sets. The combined 18ct gold weight is approximately 157 grams. It is presented in a box with a certificate of guarantee included.
Early Flags of Southern Africa Proof Sterling Silver Ingot Collection
Issued by the South African Historical Mint in 1981. The set consists of 20 sterling silver ingots weighing 12 grams each and measuring 30 mm x 20 mm. The set comes in a display frame accompanied by a descriptive booklet. The author has once seen a similar set in 18ct gold.
The stamps are the following: -
The Portuguese discoverers
The Dutch “Princevlag”
The Dutch East India Company (VOC)
Old Union Jack
The Union Jack
The Transvaal Vierkleur
The Transvaal Burgers Flag
The Orange Free State
Natalia Republic
The New Republic
The Republic of Goshen
The Republic of Stellaland
German South West Africa
The Batavian Tricolor
The Cape Colony
The Colony of Natal
The Colony of the Transvaal
The Orange River Colony
Flag of the Union of South Africa (1910-1928)
The National Flag of South Africa
40 Silver Medal Set: Governors of South Africa by the SA Historical Mint
Very little about this set is known. The combined silver weight is apparently 600 grams. The author has never seen this set.
Gold Plated Silver Proof Set: The Ten Commandments by Trechikoff (1978)
Issued by the SA Historical Mint, there are ten medallions weighing 35 grams each that were struck in sterling silver and plated in 24-carat gold. They measure approx. 42 mm x 31.5 mm x 2.5 mm. Each medallion bears the hallmark of the minter. There were 5000 sets issued that are presented in a red velvet box. There were also 500 sets produced in 18ct gold, each medallion weighing 40 grams.
Summary
It will be clear to the reader that virtually all the sets that we have discussed were issued by two companies, the South African Historical Mint and the Africana Commemorative Mint.
According to some of the certificates we have studied, the SA Historical Mint’s address was given as 72 Keerom Street, Cape Town and the Africana Commemorative Mint as 14 Juta Street, Braamfontein in Johannesburg. It seems neither is still in existence, or at least not trading under their original names.
From what the author could learn from a discussion he had with Glenn Schoeman, the Director at Gold Reef City Mint, the said two companies are thought to have sourced the services of the well-known Cape medalist Pagliari of the Cape Mint who struck most of these medals in the 1970s and 1980s.
According to Laidlaw, the Pagliari Group of companies was founded in 1957 by Mauro Pagliari. The Cape Mint (Pty) Ltd is a subsidiary company that manufactures quality coins and medals. The following medal was struck in 1978 commemorating 21 years since the company was founded.
The Western Cape Numismatic Society is currently in discussion with the company to do a representation at our third quarterly meeting this year. Members will be kept updated.