SA Union: Johannesburg Empire Exhibition: Building / Ox Wagon

Form:

Circular. Bronzed medal has attached lug.

By:

E. Naylor, Royal Mint at Pretoria

Date:

1936

Ref:

AM2: 226; Laidlaw: 0031;

Variations:

Size	Metal	Mass	Value
32 mm	Silver		$30
32.1 mm	Bronze	12.2 gm	$7
32 mm	Bronzed Base Metal		$5
32 mm	White Metal

Edge:

Plain

Obverse:

Facade of the Government building at the exhibition flying the Union flag. In an arc above: “RYKSTENTOONSTELLING - 1936”. Below that, across: “EMPIRE / EXHIBITION”. In the exergue: “EX . UNITATE . / . VIRES .”.

Reverse:

Ox wagon pulled by four oxen moving to the right through the veldt; man with whip and dog trotting alongside. Mountains and radiant sun in the background. Signed just above the exergue line: “E.N. (left) R.M.P (right)”. In an arc above: “JOHANNESBURG - 1886”. In the curved exergue: “EENDRAGT MAAKT / MAGT”

Notes:

Johannesburg hosted the Empire Exhibition, held in Milner Park between September 1936 and January 1937. Milner Park (now part of the University of Witwatersrand) is the home of the annual Witwatersrand Agricultural Society Show, first opened by Paul Kruger in 1894. The exhibition coincided with the City’s Golden Anniversary. The centrepiece of the layout of gardens, buildings and pathways was the 200 feet tall “Tower of Light” which could be seen at night from anywhere on the Rand.