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SA Union: Centenary of Norwegian Constitution from City of Durban

SA Union: Centenary of Norwegian Constitution from City of DurbanSA Union: Centenary of Norwegian Constitution from City of Durban
Form: Circular with attached loop. The corded ribbon has blue-white-red-white-blue vertical stripes.
By: Ivar Throndsen
Date: 1914
Ref:  AM2: 145; Laidlaw: 1145;
Variations:
SizeMetalMassValue
30.9 mmBronze9.2 gm$150

Edge: Plain.

Obverse: Within an ornamental border round the rim, conjoined bare headed busts of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud, left, he in uniform. Legend: ".CHRISTIAN.FREDERIK (star) HAAKON.VII". Signed in incused letters at the foot: "THRONDSEN.F".

Reverse: In the middle, across in a shallow arc: "1814 - 17DE. MAI - 1914". Above that, two busts turned slight towards each other, named on a ribbon below: "FALSEN (left) CHRISTIE (right)” binding oak branches. In the lower part, building with trees. Legend in quotes: "ENIG.OG.TRO.TIL.DOVRE.FALDER (united and faithful until Dovre falls down)". In the exergue: "DURBAN (in an arc)"

Notes: The medal was commissioned by the Norwegian community in Natal to commemorate the centenary of Constitution of the Kingdom of Norway. The community was mainly descended from the 229 persons who had arrived in Durban on the ship 'LapLand' in 1882 and settled in southern Natal.

The constitution was signed on 17 May 1814 at Eidsvollsbygningen, a Manor House located at Eidsvoll in Akershus, Norway. The building is depicted on the reverse of this medal. Christian Falsen (1782 – 1830) and Wilhelm Christie (1778 – 1849) were two of the constitutional fathers and the authors of the constitution.

The legend on the reverse: "Enig og tro til Dovre falder" is the old Norwegian motto. The Dovre Mountain range is in south-central Norway.

Christian Frederick (1786 – 1848) of Denmark was elected King of Norway in 1814 following the signing of the constitution. Hostilities and subsequent union with Sweden obliged him to abdicated in the same year.

King Haakon VII (1872 – 1957), born Prince Carl of Denmark, was elected the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the union with Sweden. He reigned from November 1905 until his death in September 1957.

Ivar Throndsen (1853 – 1932) was a prolific Norwegian medal and coin engraver. His work was cataloged by Ragnar Støren and Hans Holst in 1937.