RSA (Pre-1994): Jan & Maria van Riebeeck / Dutch East India Company

Form:

Circular

By:

Arthur L. Sutherland (obv) and Lourens de Lange (rev) / SA Mint.

Date:

1984

Ref:

Laidlaw: 0628;

Variations:

Size	Metal	Mass	Value
63.5 mm	Gilded Silver	118 gm	$180
63.6 mm	Bronze	73.7 gm	$45

Edge:

Plain. Silver medal engraved: "1984 J.L. van Schaik & Kie Uitgewers Pretoria (1984 J.L. van Schaik & Co. Publishers Pretoria)”.

Obverse:

Bareheaded conjoined busts, left. Signed: “ALS” below the truncation on the left. Legend below: “JAN & MARIA VAN RIEBEECK V.O.C. 1652”.

Reverse:

A rectangular pillar showing the the V.O.C monogram with: "G" above for the Cape Good Hope. Below the monogram a lion on a crowned shield and below that: “6 APRIL / 1652”. Behind the pillar, a view of Table Bay from the sea with two ships in full sail to the left and right and radiant Table Mountain behind. On a raised band above: “AAN ONS NAECOMELINGEN (to our descendants)”, to the left and right sprigs of Protea(?) and below a pair of wedge shaped trowels. Signed: “LDL” below and to the left. The silver medal stamped with the sterling silver mark of the SA Mint (letter K for 1984) at the foot.

Notes:

The silver medal comes in a blue case lined on the inside with white silk marked: "SAM" and blue velvet. The bronze medal comes inside a green case with: “STIGTING . JAN VAN RIEBEECK . FOUNDATION" around the van Riebeeck coat of arms on the outside of the lid and lined on the inside with white silk marked: "SAM" and green velvet.

The occasion marked by this medal is unknown. It may have been produced by the van Riebeeck Society to foster goodwill between South Africa and the Netherlands.

Van Riebeeck landed three ships, the Drommedaris, Reijger and Goede Hoop, to establish a settlement in the Cape for the Dutch East India Company in 1652. He was married to Maria de la Quellerie.