Category: Southern Cross Medal (1952)

Categories: South Africa, Military Decorations

The Southern Cross Medal of 1952, post-nominal letters SM, is a South African military decoration that was instituted by the Union of South Africa in 1952. It was awarded for outstanding devotion to duty and was originally available to all ranks, but from 1967 until it was discontinued in July 1975 it was reserved for officers. The Southern Cross Medal of 1952 is a medallion struck in silver, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick, depicting the stars of the Southern Cross against a dark blue enameled background, framed in a circle of oak leaves.

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms. Specimens that were struck before South Africa became a republic in 1961 have Queen Elizabeth's royal cypher (E II R) above the Coat of Arms. The decoration number was impressed at the bottom of the decoration on the rim.

Current medal

pre-1961 reverse

See Southern Cross (1952) on Wikipedia

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