Zimbabwe-Rhodesia: Peace / Prayer of St. Francis
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Form:
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Curved seven-sided. Frosted proof-like.
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By:
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Matthews Manufacturing Co, Bulawayo / Livingstone Mint |
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Date:
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ND (1979) |
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Ref:
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Laidlaw: 1154;
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Variations:
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| Size | Metal | Mass | Value |
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| 36.2 mm | Fine Silver | 27.6 gm | $25 | | 36 mm | Bronze | | $10 |
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Edge:
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Plain. Issue number stamped on edge. This silver medal, "175". This bronze medal: "253".
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Obverse:
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Against a stylized background of two open hands, black-looking left and white-looking right, dove in flight upward to right with olive branch in beak. legend above: "PEACE" and below: "ZIMBABWE-RHODESIA". Matthews Manufacturing monogram at bottom right.
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Reverse:
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Cross pattée at the top. Across, the prayer of St. Francis: "LORD make me an / instrument of thy PEACE; / Where there is hatred / let me show LOVE; / where there is injury / PARDON; / where there is doubt FAITH; / where there is despair HOPE; / where there is darkness LIGHT; / where there is / sadness JOY.
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Notes:
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Silver medal comes encapsulated inside a fitted red case and the bronze medal in a green case from the Livingstone Mint. There is also a certificate stating that 1,500 medals (numbered 1 to 1500) were made of fine silver and 2,500 medals (numbered 1501 to 4000 but changed by hand to 1 to 2500) were made of bronze.
Zimbabwe-Rhodesia had a brief existence from June to December 1979. The country had been created by an internal settlement between the white people of Rhodesia, under Ian Smith, and the black people, lead by moderates. After fifteen years of civil war, the object was to replace white minority rule by majority rule by democratic elections. Unfortunately, the black rebel leaders and their followers did not participate and, in order to appease them, Zimbabwe-Rhodesia was dissolved at the Lancaster House Agreement, held in Britain, on 11 December 1979.
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