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012.1: Van Riebeeck Decoration



Added by: megan
Description: The decoration is silver gilt, in the shape of the Castle of Good Hope fitting into a 38mm circle. The obverse depicts a statue of Jan van Riebeeck, which stands in the Heerengracht in Cape Town, with three rings behind representing the three ships he arrived with. This is surrounded by the bilingual inscription UITNEMENDE DIENS -DISTINGUISHED SERVICE. The reverse is plain apart from the South African arms in the pre-1994 version. Specimens struck before 31 May 1961 also had the cypher of Queen Elizabeth II, but this was removed before the decoration was first awarded. The suspension consists of a cluster of eight protea leaves. The ribbon is plain light blue. Image courtesy of Ilya Repetski.
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Date Added: 06-01-2025