SA Union: Prince & Princess of Wales: Preliminaries of Union

Form:

Circular. Pierced for a suspension ring. The ribbon is red-white-blue ribbon tied in a bow.

By:

Date:

1910

Ref:

AM2: 114; Laidlaw: 0126;

Variations:

Size	Metal	Mass	Value
38.0 mm	Aluminium	6.7 gm	$12
38.0 mm	White Metal	15.6 gm	$20

Edge:

Plain

Obverse:

Conjoined bareheaded busts of Prince George in uniform and Princess Mary, left. Legend: “T.R.H. THE PRINCE & PRINCESS OF WALES”.

Reverse:

At the top, the Royal coat of arms with the motto: “DIEU ET MON DROIT”. In a semicircle below, five circular shields tied together with a ribbon inscribed: “UNION . IS . STRENGTH” across the top. Anticlockwise from the top left, the coat of arms on the shields represent: Cape Colony, Colony of Natal, Transvaal Colony, Orange River Colony and Rhodesia. Between the shields across: “UNITED / SOUTH AFRICA / – 1910 – ”

Notes:

This medal was produced in anticipation of Union. At the time, King Edward VII was still alive, and the intention was that his son George, the Prince of Wales with his wife Princess Mary would officiate at the ceremonies. However, King Edward died before the event and Prince George, now King George V, was unable to make the journey. His nephew, the Duke of Connaught, came instead.

This is the only medal that records the possibility that Rhodesia, then under the rule of the British South Africa Company, might have joined the Union. In 1922 Rhodesia might again have joined the Union but a referendum decided that Rhodesia should become a British Colony.