2003
Two Ounce Silver $2
Boer War Privy Coin, Medal & Ribbon

Obverse:Queen Elizabeth II - Design by Ian Rank-Broadley.
Legend: ELIZABETH. II. AUSTRALIA 2 DOLLARS
Reverse:Kookaburra on Branch - Design by ???.
Legend: AUSTRALIAN KOOKABURRA 2003 2 OZ. .999 SILVER
Edge:Reeded - interrupted mill - 80 Serrations.
Weight:62.270 grams.
Size:50.30 mm (diameter) 4.50 mm (thickness).
Composition:.999 Fine Silver.
Silver Content:2.00 oz.
Mintage:Perth - 3,500
Mintmarks:Queen's South Africa medal colour privy mark on reverse.

Valuation History:
2003 Two Ounce Silver $2 - Kookaburra on Branch
Boer War Privy Coin, Medal and Ribbon

Specimen
Issue125

Notes:

More than 16,000 Australians served in the Boer War, a confrontation pitching the forces of Britain and her colonies against Dutch-Afrikaner, or Boer, settlers for supremacy in southern Africa. They served in contingents from the Australian colonies and in imperial units as 'mounted rifles', 'citizen's bushmen' or 'imperial bushmen'. They fought in both the British counter-offensive of 1900, which resulted in the capture of the Boer capitals, and in the long, weary guerrilla phases of the war lasting until 1902.

The first Australian troops arrived in December 1899, too late to become involved in the serious British defeats of Black Week (10-17 December). Five hundred members of the Queensland Mounted Infantry and the NSW Lancers participated in the relief of Kimberley in February 1900, and men of the NSW Mounted Rifles played a minor part in the last major battle of the war, at Paardeberg, in the same month.

After September 1900, when the war had become mainly a guerrilla conflict, Australian troops were deployed in sweeping the countryside. Their activity was characterised by long rides, often at night, followed by skirmishes designed to cut Boer guerrillas off from the support of their farms and families.

More than 600 Australians died in the war, about half from disease and half in action. Captain Neville Howse, of the New South Wales Medical Corps, became the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

1,000 individual 2003 two ounce Boer War colour privy coins were released with a companion miniature replica of the Queen's South Africa Medal and a sepia coloured commemorative medallion struck from one ounce of .999 fine silver.

The Queen's South Africa Medal was issued to 178,000 members of British and Imperial forces. The medal's reverse features Britannia holding the Union Jack and a laurel crown towards a large group of soldiers, with warships offshore. The inscription SOUTH AFRICA appears at the top. The obverse bears the Jubilee bust of Queen Victoria. The ribbon is red with two narrow blue stripes and a broad central orange stripe.

The 40.60 millimeter diameter and 4.00 millimeter thick medal features the official 'Australians at War' emblem on the obverse. The inscription BOER WAR 1899-1902 appears on the reverse along with a design featuring a ship, thought to be the Brier Holme, carrying the first Tasmanian contingent of soldiers to the war; Mounted Trooper Leonard W Matters of the 5th South Australian Imperial Bushman's Contingent; and three Australian soldiers standing next to a one-pounder pom pom gun in Africa in 1901.

The set was housed in a green leatherette, hinged-lid presentation case and accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity. The three items were also included as part of 2,500 Australians at War Coin and Medallion Tribute Series released by the Perth Mint.

Source:
Booklet accompanying the 2003 Australians at War Coin and Medallion Tribute Series.

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