South Africa, Republic. A Southern Africa Medal, Numbered Issue

Instituted in 1989. Type I with Uniface Suspender. In nickel-silver, number impressed "014121" on the reverse, measuring 38 mm (w) x 38 mm (h), original ribbon, extremely fine.

Footnote: The medal was instituted in 1989 and awarded for special participation in specified cross-border activities in defence of the Republic of South Africa. The award was to have been originally called the "Trans Jati Medal", the "Jati" being the cut line. The medals were to have been made from the medal of a captured Russian T-34 tank but the metal was found to be unsuited for the purpose. Instead, a small amount of melted metal from the tank was mixed with nickel-silver. There were two strikings of the medal: the first with a uniface suspender struck as an integral part of the medal, the second with a double-faced suspender attached to the medal.