NSB) Commemorative copper plate for Mussert's journey to the Dutch Indies in 1935

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(NSB) Commemorative copper plate for Mussert's journey to the Dutch Indies in 1935. The diameter is 28 centimeters. Only 600 of these commemortive plates were made. Nowadays these are quite hard to find. The one offered here is in decent condition. Please mind it is 86 years old!   ------- Background: On 17 July 1935 Mussert flew to the Dutch East Indies, an expensive means of travel for that time. Immediately after arrival, Mussert was received by governor-general de Jonge. The governor-general was in favor of strong government authority and agreed with many of Mussert's views. This audience worked in favor of Mussert and the Indies NSB. About two thousand people rally behind him and join the Indies NSB. The new members also appreciated the strong government authority. In addition, the anti-communist position of the NSB was doing well. In the former dutch East Indies in the 1930's, National Socialism was rising. At it's height around 1936/1937, about 5000 people became members of the East Indies branch of the NSB. Mussert's visit was for a large part responsible for the popularity of the NSB oversees. Another reason for joining was the rise in Indonesian nationalism and fear for a Japanese threath. Mussert visited the regional and local branches of the NSB in the Dutch East Indies, and gave speeches. After Mussert returned on 29 august 1935, several NSB mebers asked the Cees van Geelkerken (NSB deputy leader when Mussert was absent), to offer the leader (Mussert) a commemortive plate to commemorate his journey. The Strijd en verkiezingsfonds (Battle and Election Fund), recied donations that enabled the production of 600 bronze plates. The idea behind the plates was to enable at least one member of each NSB group to recieve one of the plates. --------- Design of the plates: the plates have a centre symbolized by a globe showing the route Mussert traveled by KLM aircraft (a DC2 named the SPERWER), which departed from Schiphol on July 17 and arrived on 24 July in Batavia. The centre also shows the return journey, also with a KLM plane (another DC2 named KWAK) from Medan on 29 August, and which arrived at Schiphol on 2 September.