Robert "Robbie" Jardine
1956 — 2020
Robbie Jardine was a mine overseer in Brits, near Pretoria. He was the maternal grandfather of Reghardt Ungerer, and the closest thing to a co-founder this gallery will ever have. He and Reghardt shared the kind of bond that doesn't need explaining — the long conversations, the shared humour, the visits that became the rhythm of a life.
He passed away in 2020, during the lockdowns, at a moment when Reghardt could not travel to see him. Jardines Galleries was built in the years that followed — a place to honour the grandfather who shaped it, and the saying he repeated almost every day, half in earnest and half in jest.
The lion on the Jardines mark is his.
The Library · Statement of Intent
About the Library.
The family who built it, the curators who write it, the principles it follows, and what it covers.
The family
Three GenerationsJardines Galleries is a family business — a close family that shares the same values and the same interest in South African numismatics, across three generations. The grandfather and the father carry the deep knowledge that anchors the library. The next generation runs the gallery day to day.
The elders
- Ben Ungerer Curatorial Editor · Library
The parents
- Johan Ungerer Curatorial Editor · Library
- Vennesa Ungerer Gallery Operations
The gallery
- Reghardt Ungerer Founder & Owner
- Riandre Nell Gallery Operations
- Brandon Jansen Gallery Operations
The Curatorial Desk
Library EditorsBen & Johan Ungerer The Curatorial Desk
Two generations of family numismatic knowledge anchor the library. Ben Ungerer — the grandfather — and Johan Ungerer — his son — are the editors of every page in this section, from the long-form articles in The Journal to the short reference notes scattered through the field guides. They do not run the gallery. They run the library, quietly, in the background, and have done so since long before Jardines Galleries opened its doors.
Their work is the reason the library exists. The standard they hold the writing to — every fact sourced, every uncertainty named, every error corrected when found — is what separates this reference from the dealer leaflets and forum summaries that came before it. The five principles below are theirs.
Five principles
How the Library Is WrittenWhat the library covers
Scope & BoundariesIn Scope
What we cover
- Pre-Union coinage — VOC, Cape, Griqua, Orange Free State, ZAR
- Anglo-Boer War emergency issues — Veldpond, Burgers, siege material
- Union coinage, 1923 – 1960
- Decimal coinage, 1961 to the present
- The Krugerrand series — gold, silver, proof, bullion
- Commemoratives — Natura, Protea, Mandela, Big Five
- Banknotes — pre-1921 private banks through SARB and polymer
- Tokens, medals, fiscal items, and emergency paper
- Mint history, monetary timelines, named personalities
- Grading, authentication, and counterfeit diagnostics
Out of Scope
What we don't cover
- Other African nations' coinage (with rare exceptions where context demands it)
- Foreign coins that circulated briefly in South Africa, beyond background context
- Investment advice, market predictions, or price forecasts
- Confidential client information from valuations or consignments
- Any speculation we cannot back with a verifiable source
The references
Standard SourcesThe library draws on the standard works of South African numismatic literature, the official records of the South African Mint and Reserve Bank, and the auction archives that document realised prices. The full annotated reference list lives in Bibliography & Further Reading. The following are the foundational works.
- Brian HernHern's Handbook on South African Coins. The standard catalogue.
- Elias LevineThe Coinage and Counterfeits of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (1974).
- Krause & MishlerStandard Catalog of World Coins.
- South African MintOfficial records and historical publications.
- South African Reserve BankBanknote and currency archives.
- NGC, PCGS, PMGPopulation reports and certified census data.
- Heritage AuctionsRealised price archive — South African material.
- Spink & SonAuction catalogues and South African specialist sales.
- Noonans MayfairBritish and Commonwealth medal and token records.
- Western Cape Numismatic SocietyResearch papers, particularly P.H. Nortje.