| MAJOR Z.A.R COINS & PATTERNS |
SINGLE "9"
On the 2nd day of November 1899 at 10.30am, a single figure 9 was stamped at the bottom of the President's bust, slightly overlapping the design. The coin is known as 'the single nine counterstamp' and is South Africa's only unique coin.
In 1899 the Kruger Pond/Pound dies were intercepted by the British in Lourenzo Marques. To mark the wartime re-opening of the mint it was decided to overstamp 1898 ponds with a 99 overstamp below Krugers bust. The first coin to be processed was stamped with a single 9 - approximately 2,3mm in length - on the obverse of an 1898 coin. This took place at exactly 10:30 am on the 2nd of November 1899. It was later presented to the American Consul in Pretoria.
The late King Farouk of Egypt later bought the coin in Paris. In 1954 it was sold at a Sotheby auction for an estimated R650-00. In 1969 it was sold by Days’ postal auction as part of the late Dr. CL Froelich’s collection for R2530-00. In 1981 it was sold by Phoenix postal auction for R45 000-00. In 1983 it was sold by Phoenix Auction for R132 000-00 to Mr. Kraay in South Africa. Mr. Kraay then sold it in 1998 for R4,65 million. The current value of the coin is estimated at R15 million.
Documentation accompanies this coin confirming its authenticity.
Since the 1899 dies never arrived in Pretoria, it was decided to overstamp 130 new 1898 coins. The figures were counter-stamped below Kruger's bust. In 1899 the Kruger Pond/Pound dies were intercepted by the British in Lourenzo Marques. To mark the wartime re-opening of the mint it was decided to overstamp 1898 ponds with a 99 overstamp below Krugers bust. The first coin to be processed was stamped with a single 9. It was then decided to stamp another 130 of the 1898 ponde with a smaller pair of nines. These coins are known as the ’99 overstamps’. The 130 ponde were struck with a smaller punch – the 9 measuring about 1.1mm. These coins are exceptionally rare.
VELDPOND
This is South Africa's most unusual coin. The 'Veld Pond', as it is known, was struck at a gold mine workshop in Pilgrims Rest from hand made dies using a heavy fly press. There have been many known forgeries. These coins are also known as Siege pieces, or Money of Necessity.
During the Anglo-Boer war there was a shortage of coins for provisions for the Boer troops. Consequently, a Mint was established in the field/veld at Pilgrims Rest. A 29 year old former school teacher, Mr PJ Kloppers, was appointed as the Head of the Mint. A hand press was improvised and discs of 24 carat gold were manufactured. Remarkably, these coins were struck with only one pair of dies and a lathe turned by two men. These coins are classified as ‘Siege Pieces’ or ‘Money of Necessity’. Forgeries were made as early as 1903 as it was a lucrative business after the Anglo-Boer war when high prices (£8 - £10) were paid by the public for them.
COUNTERFEITS
There are many counterfeits of the veld pond, and in many cases it takes an expert eye to spot fakes. Usually the shape and breadth of the letters and figures as well as the spacing gives some clues. The weight and the number of grooves around the coins edge are not always conclusive evidence, for the mass of these veld ponds varied between 116g and 131g, and the number of grooves could be 72, 74 or 79!
SAMMY MARKS
This is the Sammy Marks gold tickey. It is not legal tender, but because it was struck form official dies it is regarded as part of the Z.A.R. series. No 1898 silver tickeys were struck.
In 1898 President Kruger allowed Samuel Marks, a mining magnate, the run of the mint for the day in appreciation of services rendered to the republic. He minted 215 tickeys in gold from the 1898 3D dies. They are not considered as legal tender but a type and did not circulate. However it is regarded as part of the ZAR series by South African numismatists. A considerable percentage of these were mounted which reduced their value significantly.
At the time, the cost of these coins was about 65¢ each. In 1961, coins in UNC state had escalated to R400 each and in 1973 they cost about R2 000-00
FORGERIES:
There are ten to fifteen different varieties known- some intended to deceive and some intended for use in jewellery. These are usually in 9 and 18 carat gold. A few of the known forgeries are:
•Cast Copies
•Gilded Replica
•Date Variety
•Dented nose variety
•Square head variety
•Small head variety
1893 HALF POND
This is the first time that the 'Half Pond' or 10y. shilling Gold coins were minted in South Africa. In 1894 the first single-shaft half ponde were minted in the Republic and these bore the 1893 and 1894 dates. “The first single-shafted half-pounds issued bear the year 1893, and of these there are really very few, so that today they are the rarest of all the normal Kruger coins” – Dr FK Mitchell
Patterns of the cape (Bronz, Nickel, Aliminium and Tin)
Cape of Good Hope
These coins show the head of Victoria or the coat of Arms on the observe, with 1 Penny on the reverse encircled by a wreath. British coins were used by the Cape from 1806 to 1923. It is speculated that the Patter coins were an exercise to stimulate interest in an own series for the Cape. The fraction of Penny pieces were more than likely not used in South Africa as currency, but were collected as curiosities.
Griqua Town Pennies
The Griquas was first being called “basters” by the Cape colonists. They originated from European, slave and Khoi-Khoi (Hottentot) elements. This group moved en masse from the colony to the North. Although they were westernized to some extent, they were not permitted to be absorbed into the white society. They were excellent horsemen and hunters and on the plains south of the Orange River, they frequently raided the neighboring tribes. They settled at Klaarwater in 1803, north of the Orange, which is today known as Kimberley. Here they drove away the San (Bushmen) and other tribes. Here they led a more settled life and concentrated on stock farming. They provided articles such as skins, ivory, leather, ostrich feathers etc. for barter to the Cape.
Reverend John Campbell of the London Missionary Society came to the Cape in 1812. While there, he visited the Griquas and decided that they should have their own system of metallic coins. This, he felt would promote the trade of the community. The coinage for the Griquas was undertaken by the London Missionary Society. There were four denominations: 2 x Silver coins bearing the figures IIIII (5) and two Bronze coins with 1/2 and 1/4 impressed on them These denominations, it is said, where chosen in an attempt to introduce decimalization. In a semi-circle above the figures, the word “GRIQUA” and at the bottom, the word “TOWN”. The reverse showed the Dove of Peace with an olive branch in its beak, the emblem of the London Missionary Society. No data appeared on the coins and that meant that the dies could be re-used. And so the small handful of Griquas became the first people in South Africa to have their own minted currency. The first consignment of coins were sent to the Cape in 1815 and the second, a year later. The quantity and value of these coins are not known. Apparently Campbell had undertaken the whole project on his own. This said, the story of the Griqua coins is not complete without mention of the Griqua Town pattern coins of 1890. On the obverse appears the head of Queen Victoria and on the reverse appears the Dove of Peace with a olive branch. There are two variations of the Penny. Above the Dove (one one) is the word “GRIQUA” and below it, the word “TOWN”. On either side of the dove is a small star. The Penny bears no date.
The other Penny is dated 1890 and the “GRIQUA TOWN” appears above the dove, which have 3 small stars on either side. Griquatown was situated in in Griquatown West, where the Griquas lived up to the 1860’s. In 1873, Griqualand West was declared a separate British Colony and in 1880 it was incorporated in the Cape Colony. The Penny was probably minted by Otto Nolte & Co of Berlin. The Griqua Twon on the Penny is therefore not clear. It could have been a mistake, or the coin may simple have been an example of the firm’s work submitted to the Colony. The Griqua coins are rare today and have become valuable numismatic items.
Orange Free State Pennies
The Volksraad received an amount of £90 000 in compensation for the loss of the Diamond Fields. They decided after long and careful consideration that £70 000 would be invested in a proposed semi-state bank, and in 1877, De Nationale Bank van den Orange Free State came into being. Throughout the Republican years, the bank flourished. A lengthy series of conferences eventually led to the provisional and later permanent decision to permit Z.A.R coin to circulate as legal tender in the Free State, with the proviso that the Nationale Bank would receive compensation on the circulation of the Z.A.R coins. The Free State never had its own coins to meet its need for small change. The german firm, Otto Nolte & Co submitted specimen of pattern coin from time to time which were indeed considered by the Volksraad. Unfortunately nothing came of the plans. The Crown, considered as a possible coin was minted in silver and led. It bears the date 1887. There was also a variation, a very rare and scarce pattern coin by now, with a counterstamp “B.E.A.C 1888”, standing for British East African Company below the word “KROON”. The firm must have obtained some of these crowns and then placed their own stamp on them. It may have been used as a souvinier coin. There are several variations of the Penny. The 1874 “EEN PENNY” bears an orange tree on the reverse as well as two powder-horns. Of this penny, there is a variant of twice the normal thickness. A very rare variant is one bearing the coat of arms similar to the 1888 penny. The 1888 was minted in bronze, nickel, alluminium & silver, with noticeable variations of thickness. The “2 PENCE” on the far right above is called a “mule” or “bastard” coin. The obverse, with the Z.A.R motto “Eendracht Maakt Magt” (Unity is strength), does not accord with the reverse, which bears the Free State Coat of Arms. As far as is known, this is the only coin of its type. An interesting piece of history surrounds this coin. A soldier took the coin to Australia after the Anglo-Boer war. There it fell into the hands of a merchant who sent it to London, from where it found its way back to South Africa.
