Rhodesia: Selous Scouts Commemorative Ingot |
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| Form: | Rectangular. Mirror fields, fronted designs | ||||||||
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| By: | Trevor Wood / Matthews Manufacturing Co. (Pvt.) Ltd. | ||||||||
| Date: | 1973 | ||||||||
| Ref: |
Laidlaw: 1254; |
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| Variations: |
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| Edge: |
Plain. Thickness at rim 4.2 mm. Stamped: "FINE SILVER" with the issue number. This medal: "0194". |
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| Obverse: |
Within oval with frosted background, two soldiers in Selous Scouts uniform, African on left, bearded European on right, front and turned towards each other. Emblem of the Selous Scouts above and between. Signed: "TW" on left above shoulder. Outside oval on right across: "SELOUS / SCOUTS / 1973". |
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| Reverse: |
On left, crossed automatic rifles against background of outline map of Rhodesia. On right, coat of arms of Rhodesia. Signed with the Matthews Manufacturing monogram below left design. |
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| Notes: |
Comes inside an maroon oblong fitted cased with the emblem in brass of the the Selous Scouts on the outside of the lid. Lined on the inside with white silk-like and blue velvet-like material. On the inside of the lid: "Commemorative Medallions / Selous Scouts 1973". Also comes with a numbered (same as on the medal) certificate from Matthews manufacturing stating that 1,500 were made of fine silver and 100 in 18ct Gold. The Selous Scouts was was a special forces regiment named after the British explorer Frederick Courteney Selous (1851–1917). Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ron Reid-Daly, it was a mixed-race unit of about 500 men, exiting between 1973 and 1980 during the Rhodesian Bush War. It was the most successful, measured in the number of guerrilla killed, of all the counter-insurgency units. The medal was presented to members of the Selous Scouts as well as being on sale to the general public. Although dated 1973 (the year of formation), the medal was almost certainly produced later. |
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