TOPIC:

This virtually unknown gold Boer War medallion was obtained from a granddaughter of Leopold Albu, one of the Randlords at the time of the Boer War, and commemorates the reopening of the Rand gold mines in 1901.

At the start of hostilities there was a mass exodus of “uitlanders” from Johannesburg and the Rand gold mines were obliged to close down. Only a few people stayed behind to protect the mine owner’s and their shareholder’s interests. The essential tasks were to man the pumps to prevent the shafts from flooding and to guard the properties against potential Boer sabotage. The latter threat was less than the mine owners supposed because the ZAR Republic was under great pressure from European governments (mainly Germany) to leave the mines alone. The pressure came from wealthy citizens who had invested heavily in the companies that operated the mines.

The mines, therefore, survived the initial stages of the war more or less intact. Once the British occupied the Transvaal, the hazards of the subsequent guerrilla war frustrated the reopening of the mines. Many miners did return but were recruited into units to perform guard duties, and only in January 1901 improving conditions allowed operations to gradually recommence.

An occasion was organised on 4 May 1901 to mark the reopening of the mines. The venue was the Meyer and Charlton Gold mine on the then outskirts of Johannesburg, which was the original source of wealth of the Albu brothers, George and Leopold. They were of German extraction and Kitchener’s selection of their mine for the event was not received kindly by the other Randlords, many of whom had contributed significantly (both in money and resources) to the British side. The Albu brothers, on the other hand, were well known for their pro-Boer stance. In the event, George Albu shifted his ground and gave a suitably sycophantic speech to which Lord Kitchener graciously replied. The attached photograph shows George Albu giving the speech; Leopold is standing on the far right; and Kitchener is seated in the middle of the front row. An unknown number of gold medallions, made from the first new gold from the mine, were presented as souvenirs of the occasion. According to family tradition, Lord Kitchener, for unspecified reasons, returned this one to Leopold Albu.

The above synopsis of events is drawn from the book “Through Fortress and Rock” by JDF Jones, which was commissioned by Gencor Ltd in 1995 to mark their centenary. Gencor was formed from an amalgamation of companies founded by the Albu brothers. Subsequently, the holdings of Gencor have been taken over by Gold Fields Ltd.

The obverse of the medallion shows the headgear and wheel of the Meyer and Charlton mine (which still survives apparently, now in downtown Johannesburg). The mass is 30.95 gm and the diameter 38.5 mm. According to a knowledgeable party, the absence of tarnishing suggests that it is 22ct gold. The edge is plain and there is no maker’s mark.

The custom leather presentation case, images of which are attached, is lined on the inside with silk. The medallion is recessed on a removable fitted tray, covered in light-green velvet. The gold lettering on the inside of the lid (indistinct on the image) reads as follows:

MEYER & CHARLTON GOLD MINING CO LTD
In commemoration of the
RE-OPENING
OF THE
GOLD MINING INDUSTRY IN THE TRANSVAAL,
after the enforced idleness during the war,
by the restarting of the battery of the
MEYER & CHARLTON GOLD MINING CO LTD
on the 4th MAY, 1901,
in the presence of
LORD KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.,
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF HIS MAJESTY’S FORCES IN SOUTH AFRICA,
AND HIS STAFF.
THIS MEDAL IS MADE OF SOME OF THE FIRST GOLD WON BY
THE COY. AFTER THE RESUMPTION OF OPERATIONS.

Henk, a very impressive and important medallion. I remember this medallion very clearly. Unfortunately, my bid was not high enough at the time to secure.

Well done on a truly great acquisition.

Anthony

Absolutley splendid piece.

An important reason why the mines survived the war was that the Transvaal government needed the income they generated and indeed significant production was maintained. The Transvaal made £1.5 million pound profit from the mines from October 1899 to April 1902. This covered their war expenses of the period.

I can recommend Diana Camack's "The Rand at War 1899-1902" as an excellent book that covers the economic and social history of the Rand.

Regards
Meurig

Henk,

Another wonderful item to see. Thank you for posting the information.

The book Meurig mentions has a few sections available on line including a page recording the day commemorated by the medal:

The Times reported the event on 8 May 1901:

The ILN ran a piece on the re-opening on 15 June 1901 and included the same picture as you already have: