Silver Afrika Medal

[Nigel N]

@Jeff........
You were asking if this was the only Silver one.......
Here's another.............
afrika1.jpg

afrika2.jpg

-Nigel

[Skyhawk]

Hi Nigel,

Wow! I still think you have a pretty rare piece, and overall you just do not see too many non-swaz Afrika medals available in the market.

Thanks for posting!

Best,

Jeff

[Nigel N]

Thanks Jeff!
Here is a wartimer in silver for comparison............
attachment (9).jpg

attachmentBKRUDSF3.jpg

[Antonio Scapini]

Hi Nigel, you picked up a very interesting medal.
If wartime silvered pieces are not easy to find, I think postwar ones are really hard.
To be honest I never understood why Souval produced silvered medals, but there are a lot of questions about TR production that are still without an answer...

Maybe S&L tryed to copy the various wartime types giving a multiple choice for buyers.

[Nigel N]

Thanks again Antonio!
And I agree with you, that S&L did seem to make these variants, to give more choice, even if it was more for collectors than veterans in later years!!
-Nigel

[reichenberg]

Had a quick search on all the European sites I am familiar with and found about 16 bronze but only 4 silver, and 1 bronze 57er. Prices for wartime awards being around e110 for a bronze and e150 for silver.


and here's a mini 57er.


http://www.ismilitaria.co.uk/viewpho...h=11520&phqu=2

[Skyhawk]

Thanks Jeff!
Here is a wartimer in silver for comparison............
[ATTACH]3220880[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]3220881[/ATTACH]

Hi Nigel,

Thanks for showing the example, and I have learned something new!

Best,

Jeff

[Steve DT]

Hi guys, just found this link, I've got a silver washed Afrika with no symbols as well that I've never known anything about, thanks for the discussion. I'll post it soon when I get a minute. (That's it on the right of the picture under my name, if you look closely enough!) It's just on a different computer.
Steve

[Nigel N]

Look forward to seeing it Steve!!!!
-Nigel

[Steve DT]

Ok, here are some pics. It's a very wide modern ribbon. The medal itself is much thicker than my wartime ones.
S

[Steve DT]

Ok first time trying to post from iPhone, having a little trouble. I'll try this:

[Steve DT]

Seems I can only do one pic at a time. If anyone wants some better pics I can dig the laptop out later
Cheers,
Steve

[Nigel N]

Hi Steve!
Great medal, and an interesting one too!!!
It also has the raised dots of a later piece, and it has the "flange" around the edge of the obverse side, where it looks like the obverse and reverse dies didn't quite line up?
Could you measure the width of the medal, just at the outer edge, to see if it approx. 2 or 3mm!
And....if you could post some bigger pics, that would be great, as its only the third Silver Afrika we have seen!!!
Thanks!!
-Nigel

[Steve DT]

Glad you like it Nigel
I don't have callipers handy, but it's almost 3mm, 2.8 or 2.9.
It definitely has that wierd flange, and a bunch of other grooves/excess metal, especially around the ribbon loop. I'd wondered if it was maybe fake because of those things, but the gladiators/croc are very crisp and well done.
I'll try to get some better pics in the next few days when I can squeeze it in - baby #2 is coming any day now, so I'm a bit preoccupied!
Steve

[Nigel N]

No problem Steve!!
And.....Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

So, with a combination of the flange and the 3mm width, Steve's Silver is the 3rd type, the later, thicker one!
We now have two types, the 2nd, with raised dots, but thinner width, and the 3rd type, raised dots but thicker, both in Silver as well as Bronze!!
Very interesting!!!!!!!!
-Nigel