Date Instituted: 1854.

Campaign: South Africa 1834-53.

Description: The obverse of this medal bears the head of Queen Victoria with the inscription 'VICTORIA REGINA' while the reverse depicts a crouching lion drinking from a waterhole in front of a protea bush with the words 'SOUTH AFRICA' above and the date '1853' below. The swivelling suspender is of the ornate scroll type.

Metal: Silver.

Size: 36mm.

Clasps: Non authorised for this medal.

Ribbon: Yellow-orange with two broad and two narrow dark blue stripes on either edge. 

Naming: Impressed Roman capital letters.

Comments: Awarded in 1854 for three campaigns fought in South Africa between 1834-35, 1846-47 and 1850-53. Since no clasps were authorised it is impossible to tell which campaign the medal was awarded to without resort to a medal roll.

It has been said the later South Africa Medal 1877-79 should have this brighter yellow-orange ribbon while the 1834-53 medal has a paler or biscuit shaded ribbon.  This however appears to be incorrect and is probably to the fading of the ribbon in sunlight and both should have the brighter ribbon.

Further Reading:

• Nil.