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Anglo-Boer War Veterans Association Enamel Lapel Badges. 7 months 3 weeks ago #91364

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Thank you Neville. The corridor from “Cape to the Cairo” was not a concept or phrase I had heard of previously. I did think that the clasped hands were a significant inclusion in the design and your detailed reply explains the how and why. That’s my something new learned today. Thanks again.
Peter
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Anglo-Boer War Veterans Association Enamel Lapel Badges. 7 months 3 weeks ago #91365

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Volunteer, I note the characteristic position of the thumb in the handshake, which could possibly indicate this is a Masonic watch fob.
The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past.
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Anglo-Boer War Veterans Association Enamel Lapel Badges. 7 months 3 weeks ago #91376

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Peter,

It's probably worth noting that the use of the "STERLING" mark indicates that this piece was either made in the US, or in the UK for export. All silver items produced in the UK for the home market had to carry lion passant hallmarks.

The pendant may therefore have been made for the South African market.

Although Britain's ambition of establishing an uninterrupted "red line" of British rule from the Cape to Egypt was not realised until after WWI, in the 1890's Rhodes hatched a plan to build a Cape-to-Cairo railway and telegraph line. In 1899 he was in negotiations with Germany to build these across Tanganyika, the only territory lying in Britain's path. The Railway was never completed.

As the pendant only shows Southern Africa up to the border between Rhodesia and Zambia, it may commemorate the completion of the southern section of the Cape-to-Cairo Railway. The inclusion of the South African Republic and O.F.S. as independent states suggests a pre-ABW date. The Zambesi River was reached in 1904.

Neville




"THE RHODES COLOSSUS / Striding from Cape Town to Cairo. / Mr Rhodes had announced his intention to continue the telegraph northwards across the Zambesi to Uganda, then, crossing the Soudan, to complete the overland telegraph line from Cape Town to Cairo." (Punch Magazine, 1892)

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