Jardines Galleries · A Union-era key date
The 1925 Threepence Design Change.
A key variety in Union coinage. Two distinct reverse designs exist for the same year — the original numeric "3" in a mimosa wreath (1923–1925) and the protea flower reverse (1925–1930) that replaced it mid-year. The 1925 mintage of 357,584 is the lowest of the entire 1925–1930 series, making it the field's key date; the first-design variety is markedly scarcer than the second, and a high-grade example sold for $3,995 at Stack's Bowers in 2016 — eight times catalogue value.
Numeric "3"
1923 – 1925 · Mimosa wreath · KM-15A · Hern S123The original reverse: a numeric "3" encircled by a wreath of mimosa. Designed by George Kruger Gray, struck for three years before being replaced. The 1925 issues from this die are the scarcer of the two for the year — the change occurred mid-year, and the numeric reverse stopped being struck once the protea dies came online.
— Stack's Bowers MS 63 sold $3,995 (2016) —The protea flower
1925 – 1930 · National flower · KM-15.1 · Hern S124–129The replacement reverse: a protea flower — the national flower of South Africa, native to the Cape — surrounded by three lines and set inside a triangle of three bundles of poles. Struck through 1930 and again in modified form to 1936. The shift from generic floral wreath to the distinctively South African national flower reads as a Union-era move toward a more local visual vocabulary.
The transition
Royal Mint Pretoria · 1923 – 1941 branchIn 1925, the South African Mint — at the time a branch of the Royal Mint operating in Pretoria from 1923 to 1941 — revised the reverse designs of several denominations. The threepence was among them, and both old and new designs were struck during the year, creating two distinct varieties for the same date. (See the Pretoria Mint page for the broader history of mint operations on this site.)
The threepence was struck in South Africa from 1923 to 1960, in .800 fine silver until 1930 and .500 fine thereafter. The first issues (1923–1925) carried the numeric "3" reverse with mimosa wreath; from 1925 onwards, the protea flower reverse took its place and continued in modified forms through 1936. The numeric reverse is the scarcer of the two for 1925.
The obverse — a crowned portrait of King George V facing left — was designed by Edgar Bertram MacKennal; the reverse by George Kruger Gray. Both engravers' work appears across multiple Commonwealth coinages of the period. The obverse remained constant across the 1925 transition; only the reverse design changed.
First design — numeric reverse
1923 – 1925 · KM-15A · Hern S123The original reverse. A numeric "3" at centre, encircled by a wreath of mimosa, with the inscription running around the rim and the value stated at the base. Scarcer for 1925 because the design was retired mid-year.
Crowned George V, facing left
- Crowned portrait of King George V facing left.
- Legend: "GEORGIVS V REX IMPERATOR".
- Designer's initials "B.M." (Bertram MacKennal) on the truncation.
Numeric "3" in mimosa wreath
- Wreath of mimosa encircling the figure "3".
- Inscription: "SOUTH AFRICA · 1925 · ZUID AFRIKA".
- Value "3 PENCE" at the base.
- Designer's initials "K G" (Kruger Gray) below the wreath.
Second design — protea reverse
1925 – 1930 · KM-15.1 · Hern S124–129The replacement design — a stylised protea flower, native to the Cape, with three lines surrounding the bloom and three bundles of poles forming a triangle around it. The protea would dominate the threepence reverse for the rest of the decade.
Crowned George V, facing left
- Crowned portrait of King George V facing left — unchanged from the first design.
- Legend: "GEORGIVS V REX IMPERATOR".
- Designer's initials "B.M." (Bertram MacKennal) on the truncation.
Protea flower
- A protea flower, native to South Africa, surrounded by three lines.
- The flower is set inside a triangle of three bundles of poles.
- Inscription: "SOUTH AFRICA · 1925 · ZUID AFRIKA".
- Value "3 PENCE" at the base.
- Designer's initials "K G" (Kruger Gray) on the stem of the flower.
Technical specifications
Common to both varieties · Royal Mint PretoriaMintage figures
1925 – 1930 · The 1925 collapseThe 1925 total — 357,584 across both varieties combined — is dramatically lower than the millions struck in subsequent years. This single fact is what makes 1925 the key date of the entire 1925–1930 series.
| Year | Mintage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 357,584 | Both designs combined · key date · numeric reverse scarcer |
| 1926 | 1,572,059 | Protea reverse only. |
| 1927 | 2,284,964 | Protea reverse · highest year of the series. |
| 1928 | 919,390 | Protea reverse. |
| 1929 | 1,947,895 | Protea reverse. |
| 1930 | 980,718 | Last year of .800 silver; 1931+ becomes .500. |
| — Total 1925 – 1930 — | 8,063,030 | 1925 represents just 4.4% |
Rarity & values
Auction records · Estimated values by gradeThe $3,995 first-design MS-63
Anaheim, CA · NGC MS-63 · Numeric reverse · Eight times catalogue value"A choice lustrous example with almond-color tone clinging to the devices. The numeric reverse is the scarcer of the two for 1925, though this specimen realised eight times the catalogue value." — Stack's Bowers catalogue description.
$3,995— Hammer · 2016 —A second confirmed sale at Noonans Mayfair (April 2020): a 1925 threepence (Type 1) sold as part of a lot with other George V coins for £70 (~$90), with the individual coin valued at £40–50. Beyond these two records, the values below summarise the typical market range by grade.
| Variety | Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|---|
| First design Numeric — KM-15A |
VF · Very Fine | $40 – $60 |
| EF · Extremely Fine | $80 – $120 | |
| UNC · Uncirculated | $200 – $300+ | |
| Second design Protea — KM-15.1 |
VF · Very Fine | $20 – $30 |
| EF · Extremely Fine | $40 – $60 | |
| UNC · Uncirculated | $100 – $150 |
Notes for collectors
Distinguishing varieties · Authenticity · Grade impactNumeric vs protea
The first design shows a clear numeric "3" inside a mimosa wreath. The second design features the distinctive protea flower. Easily told apart with the coin in hand.
Numeric reverse scarcer
The numeric reverse is considerably scarcer than the protea reverse for 1925, as the change occurred mid-year. Always verify which variety you have.
High-grade premium
MS-63 or better examples of the first design are extremely rare and command significant premiums — as the $3,995 Stack's Bowers result demonstrates.
Beware cleaned examples
As with all South African silver, cleaning significantly reduces value. Look for original toning; surface lustre that's been wiped or polished can knock 50% or more off market price.
- Hern, Brian, with Bothma, John & Peterse, Hercie — Hern's Handbook on South African Coins and Patterns.
- Krause-Mishler — Standard Catalog of World Coins.
- Stack's Bowers — ANA Auction (Anaheim, CA, August 2016) — the $3,995 MS-63 first-design sale.
- Noonans Mayfair — "The Collection of British Colonial Coins formed by the late John Roberts-Lewis," 22 April 2020.
- CoinVarieties.com — South Africa 1925 3 pence KM-15A.
- NumizMarket, Coin ID Scanner, Colnect — design and specification references.
- Cross-references: Pretoria Mint (Royal Mint branch 1923–1941), People Behind the Coins (MacKennal & Kruger Gray), Error Coin Encyclopedia.