TOPIC:

Some great successes amongst our members. My offer to Mother Agnes to spend some time in the UK was, sadly, unsuccessful.

Hi David et al
For me it was a good 6 out of 8.
Mother Agnes and Probationer Elsoner came home after spending some years in the insalubrious Cape climate.....
Henk

Thanks Henk, we will be moving there in 3 years time.... I am now depressed!

For the first time in many a year I skipped this auction, had acquired my fill this year with some lovely groups.

Fought back the temptation and won!

It is strange how medals go in circles, I believe Rory also picked up one that had previously been in his collection.

Brian

Was keen on Mother Agnes, thought she would appreciate living in a tropical climate but alas, my bid was not enough. However I did fill a gap in my WW2 Memorial Plaque collection with the Plaque to a woman.
Jon

Never mind Mike, there is always the cannabis shop if all else fails!

QSAMIKE wrote: And effective midnight tonight our post office is going out on strike...….

Mike

When i received the City Coins Catalog, i do what I always do at first. I page through it to see whats on offer briefly before making a decision on what I am going for. As I got near the end of the catalog and came to Lot 365, "Single Woltemade Decoration", I nearly fell off my chair. I had to read more than once, before i composed myself. Rodger Anthony lost his life on the 11 January 1987 while trying to save his friends who got caught up in the sea at Silverstroom Beach in the Cape. It is quite an intriguing story and all three teenagers were awarded the Woltemade Decoration for their bravery. Rodger Anthony's medal was issued Posthumously and Rene and Karin Idas who are cousins were awarded their medals at a Ceremony on the 30th October 1987 by the then State President of South Africa. So why am I doing the "Jiffy Bag Dance"

10 years ago I bought Rodger Anthony's medal from a dealer in JHB. He did a buying trip in Cape Town and the family sold the medal to him. When i read the citation I was moved by the story. How wonderful I said it would be, if all three medals could be married together. A feat that would be near impossible, but what a wonderful story it would make. I persuaded with the dealer to try and get me information so i could try and make contact with the others to ask if they would sell. But to no avail, my dream of getting all three was fast disappearing. About 6 months later, the dealer called me and said, guess what, I found a contact number from the family we purchased the medal from. I immedaitely called and told them that I had purchased the medal and that I am a collector and would like to make contact with the other. They said that they had lost contact many many years ago, but gave me a number. To cut a long story short, after weeks of calling numerous numbers and people, I finally made contact with Karin Idas. When I asked if she would sell the medal, she said no. So i left it there but gave her my number. I would from time to time make contact, but the answer was still the same. She also mentioned that Rene who is her cousin, she has not see or made contact in a long time. Anyway about two years later, Karin called me and said they are ready to sell. I was over the moon. We clinched the deal and I was now in posession of two of the three medals. For the past 8 years i have been trying to locate or make contact with Rene, but to no avail. Now you can understand why I say I nearly fell off my chair when I saw Rene's medal for sale in the City Coins catalog.

I have successfully married all three medals that were awared to children for the same event. Something i thought was never possible. Tomorrow I will be receiveing my medal. I cannot wait to put this story together.

Rodger Anthony
Rene Idas
Karin Idas

To those who got what they wanted on the sale, well done. I never even bother to bid on anything else. My eye's was only on lot 365 which I successfully got.

Regards
Anthony G