CECIL RHODES
Rhodesia - Rare Silver 'Bulawayo 1897 Railway Pass' Medallion
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Rhodesia - Rare Silver 'Bulawayo 1897 Railway Pass' MedallionObverse: Against a cross-hatched ornamented background, the coat of arms of the British South Africa Company with motto on a ribbon below: “JUSTICE FREEDOM COMMERCE”. Legend on a raised band above: “BULAWAYO”, floral decorations left and right, and below: “4TH NOVR. 1897". Reverse: Blank. Variantions: There is another variant that measures 25.3 x 34.7 mm (inc loop) which is Gilded & Enameled Silver (see below). If anyone has one of these forsale please let me know. 
This very early, rare solid silver and gilded medallion or badge is a lovely piece of early Rhodesiana. The medallion was produced to mark the opening of the Railway line from Mafeking, in South Africa to Bulawayo in Rhodesia, a very important occasion, as it was the first train to enter Rhodesia, and it arrived in Bulawayo on the 4th of November 1897. This silver medal or badge was given to each guest upon their arrival in Bulawayo, and it then served as a 'Pass', admitting the bearer to all the events and functions organised by the celebration committee. The medallion or 'pass' is oval in shape with a large jump ring and made of sterling silver, then gilded. The front bears the arms of the 'British South Africa Company' with the words 'BULAWAYO 4th NOV. 1897'. It is well made, with a nice weight and lovely detail. It measures 2,5cm x 3,5cm (4,4cm with jump ring) and weighs 11,7g. Note: The railway line from Cape Town reached Vryburg, north of Kimberley, during 1890 and was extended to Mafeking in 1894. The final link of more than 500 miles from Mafeking in South Africa, north to Bulawayo, in the new territory of Rhodesia, was completed on the 19th of October 1897. Cecil Rhodes, who financed the project through the British South Africa Company, saw the final track laid at a rate of more than a mile a day. The construction engineer was Harold Pauling. The line was officially opened on the 4th of November 1897 (the date was chosen to mark the 4th anniversary of the occupation of Matabeleland), by Sir Alfred Milner, High Commissioner of the Cape Colony. Eight hundred guests arrived for the ceremony on four trains including five MPs from London and even the explorer Henry Morton Stanley. Queen Victoria sent a telegram congratulating the inhabitants on the completion of the railway to that place. The full length of the line from Cape Town to Bulawayo was 1,360 miles (2,176km). |
First train in Bulawayo, 1897.