The Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek coinage is among the most frequently counterfeited world series. This guide synthesises Levine's 1974 foundational work with modern NGC authentication methodology — the repeating-depression principle, transfer-die diagnostics, and a six-step working protocol — into a single working reference. For the grading complement, see Grading ZAR Coins; for certification options once authenticated, see Certification & Grading.
Cape Town · Purnell · 1974 — Chapter 5 the comprehensive forgery survey
Elias Levine's The Coinage and Counterfeits of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek remains the foundational ZAR authentication text. Chapter 5 is the most comprehensive published treatment of ZAR forgeries — genuine vs counterfeit comparison, cast-fake documentation, and contemporary 1890s fake records.
Now scarce — 100 deluxe limited copies signed by the author, foreword by Mrs F.B. Lang, President Burgers' granddaughter. Surfaces occasionally through antiquarian booksellers.
1974Published
Ch. 5Forgery survey
100 copiesDeluxe edition
— Pillar 02 · The modern diagnostic —
The repeating depression principle
NGC methodology · 2010 + 2013 case studies · Statistical impossibility
If two coins show identical marks in identical locations, they are almost certainly fake. Counterfeiters strike from a die made from a genuine host — and every imperfection on that host transfers to the die, then to every counterfeit struck from it.
Documented for ZAR by NGC on the 1895 Gold ½ Pond (2013) and 1893 Silver 2½ Shillings (2010). The depression locations below are the surviving fingerprints of that transfer.
2 pillars— Levine + NGC methodology —
2 threats— Cast + transfer-die —
6 steps— Authentication protocol —
5 locations— Documented depressions · 1895 ½ Pond —
The Levine reference
1974 · The foundational ZAR forgery text · Methodology and availability
Elias Levine, The Coinage and Counterfeits of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Cape Town: Purnell, 1974) is the work every ZAR collector references for forgery diagnostics. Levine's methodology — side-by-side comparison of genuine and counterfeit specimens, with photographic plates of diagnostic features — established the foundation modern services build upon.
— Contents · Key chapters —
Key chapters
Collecting for beginners
Coin care and grading
Examination of the regular ZAR series
Rarities
Chapter 5 — the most comprehensive information on forgeries yet published
Kruger millions
Investing in Krugerrands
— Edition · Availability —
The limited edition
100 copies issued in a deluxe limited edition, signed by the author. Features a foreword by Mrs F.B. Lang, President Burgers' granddaughter — a direct connection to the ZAR's founding figures.
Availability: Out of print. Appears occasionally through antiquarian booksellers; expect to pay collector prices when it surfaces.
— Why it still matters —
Levine's methodology — comparing genuine vs counterfeit specimens side by side — established the foundation for modern authentication. NGC's contemporary articles extend the same approach to specific issues; the principles are unchanged.
The repeating depression principle
The statistical impossibility · Documented locations · 1895 ½ Pond + 1893 2½ Sh
Counterfeiters make a die using a genuine host coin. Every surface detail on that host — including all its random marks and contact imperfections — transfers onto the die. Every counterfeit struck from that die then carries the same marks in the same locations. Two genuine coins are statistically guaranteed to wear differently; two fakes from the same die wear identically. That's the diagnostic.
It is virtually impossible for two genuine coins to have marks in the exact same locations, so if two coins show identical abrasions there is a very good chance that they are fake.
— NGC, on the repeating-depression diagnostic for counterfeit detection
1895 Gold ½ Pond — five documented locations
NGC UK · May 2013 · Gold-correct weight · Visual examination only
— Obverse · Kruger portrait side —
Obverse marks
Kruger's mouth — depression at the lip line
Kruger's ear into hair — diagnostic transition zone
Bottom of his coat — lower truncation
— Reverse · Arms / value side —
Reverse marks
The "8" of the date — depression within the digit
Ribbon above the first "A" of "MAAKT" — fold-line region
— Why this case matters —
These fakes are gold and within weight tolerance. Weight, diameter, and metal composition all check out. Only visual examination of the documented depression locations reveals the forgery. The "weight is correct" defence has been comprehensively defeated by this case.
1893 Silver 2½ Shillings — two documented locations
NGC · October 2010 · Two coins submitted separately · Identical depressions
— Location 01 · Floral band —
Long depression below the flower
A linear depression running below the floral element — identical on multiple examples. Length, position, and angle match across coins submitted separately.
— Location 02 · Banner region —
Three marks in the banner
Three prominent marks within the banner — positioned identically across multiple specimens. The triangulation of the three marks is the fingerprint.
Two 1893 2½ Shilling coins, submitted separately to NGC, showed these identical depressions in 2010. Statistically impossible for genuine coins; both were struck from the same counterfeit die. The case became the canonical NGC example of the repeating-depression principle.
Cast fakes
The older threat · Molten metal in molds · Five diagnostic characteristics
Cast fakes are produced by pouring molten metal into molds — the older counterfeiting technique, simpler to detect than transfer-die fakes. Five characteristics betray the casting process. Levine's work extensively documents cast forgeries of ZAR coinage, including contemporary fakes from the 1890s.
— Cast fake diagnostics · Five characteristics —Cast fake characteristics
Characteristic
Description
Detection
Porosity
Tiny air bubbles trapped in the casting
Magnification reveals small pits
"Orange peel" texture
Uneven surface from the mold
Visible under angled light
Soft details
Loss of sharpness in lettering and devices
Compare to genuine specimens
Casting seam
Visible line where mold halves met
Edge examination
Weight issues
Air bubbles create internal voids
Precision scale
Transfer-die fakes — the modern threat
Struck, not cast · Correct weight · Mushy details · Known ZAR cases
Unlike cast fakes, transfer-die fakes are struck — not cast. They can closely resemble genuine coins in weight, diameter, and even metal composition. This is the dangerous modern threat: physical measurements pass, and only visual examination of details and depression locations exposes the forgery.
The manufacturing process
Four steps · Host → die → harden → strike
Select a genuine host coin — every surface detail on this coin will transfer
Create an impression die from the host — random marks, contact wear, and imperfections all carry through
Heat-treat the die to harden it — preparing for repeated striking
Strike blanks with the counterfeit die — every coin produced inherits the host's fingerprint
Why they're dangerous
Genuine vs transfer-die · Five points of comparison
— The danger matrix · Five factors · Where the fakes pass and fail —Genuine vs transfer-die fake
Characteristic
Genuine
Transfer-die fake
Weight
Within tolerance
Often correct
Diameter
Standard
Standard
Metal
Appropriate alloy
Often correct (especially gold)
Surface details
Sharp
"Mushy" from transfer
Unique marks
Random, unique
Repeated identically
Known transfer-die fakes in the ZAR series
NGC- and Levine-documented examples · The reference list
1895 ½ Pond — NGC documented (2013); five depression locations recorded
1893 2½ Shillings — NGC documented (2010); two depression locations recorded
Various Ponds — Levine comprehensively documented across denominations
The authentication protocol
Six steps · Visual → low mag → high mag → measurements → comparison → certification
Six steps, ordered from cheapest and fastest to most expensive and slowest. Each step filters out a class of fakes before escalating to the next. Most cast fakes fail at step 1 or 2; transfer-die fakes typically require steps 3 – 5; ambiguous cases go to step 6.
01
Visual inspection (no magnification)
The eye does more work than any tool. Check:
Overall appearance — natural wear pattern?
Colour — appropriate for the metal?
Edge — consistent; visible seam?
Rims — even; appropriate thickness?
02
Low magnification (5× – 10×)
A loupe reveals what the eye misses:
Surface texture — natural flow lines vs casting porosity
High points — even wear vs mushy details
Lettering — sharp and consistent vs soft, uneven
Date — proper style; no alteration evidence
03
High magnification (20×+)
Where transfer-die fakes are caught:
Die markers — known genuine vs known counterfeit depressions
Surface marks — random and unique vs identical across multiple coins
Reeding — sharp and consistent vs blurry or wrong pattern
04
Physical measurements
Necessary but not sufficient — transfer-die gold fakes often pass:
Weight — precision scale (gold fakes can be correct)
Diameter — calipers
Thickness — calipers
05
Comparison
The repeating-depression test happens here:
Compare to known genuine specimens
Compare multiple suspect coins — identical marks?
Compare to documented fakes — known depression locations
06
Professional certification
When uncertain, escalate:
NGC — largest ZAR population; maintains a counterfeit database
PCGS — strong market acceptance
SANGS — local expertise; slabs known fakes as reference (see SANGS deep dive)
If you ever have reason to question the authenticity of an uncertified coin, it is recommended that you submit the coin to a reputable third-party coin grading company for certification.
— NGC, on when to escalate to professional authentication
Common pitfalls
Four traps · Weight tolerance · Looks old · One coin · Single diagnostic
Four common failure modes in DIY authentication. Each represents a confident-but-wrong shortcut. The shared lesson: any single diagnostic in isolation is defeatable. The protocol works because no single step is the final word.
— Pitfall 01 · The measurement trap —
The "weight tolerance" trap
Gold counterfeits can be within weight tolerance — demonstrated by the 1895 ½ Pond fakes. Weight alone is insufficient; transfer-die fakes routinely pass mass, diameter, and density checks.
— Pitfall 02 · The aesthetic trap —
The "looks old" fallacy
Counterfeiters can artificially age coins. Wear patterns can be faked, toning chemically induced, edges scuffed. Age is not authenticity — and "looks old" is one of the easiest impressions to manufacture.
— Pitfall 03 · The sample-size trap —
The "one coin" limitation
Without a second suspect coin, the repeating-depression test cannot be performed.Maintain reference images of documented fakes — NGC photographs are the next-best comparison surface.
— Pitfall 04 · The single-test trap —
Over-reliance on a single diagnostic
Use multiple diagnostic points. A genuine OS initial on a double-shaft coin is correct; the same initial on a single-shaft coin is impossible. Combine die-pairing, depression checks, and surface analysis.
Building a reference collection
Books · Online resources · Personal image archive
Authentication is comparison. The protocol depends on having reliable reference material — both published works and personal image archives. Save images of certified genuine coins. Document known fakes from NGC articles. Build comparison files by denomination and date.
— Resource 01 · Essential books —
Essential books
Levine (1974) — ZAR counterfeit reference
PCGS — Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection
Hern — Standard Catalogue of South African Coins (genuine specifications)
— Resource 02 · Online resources —
Online resources
NGC Coin — counterfeit detection articles
PCGS CoinFacts — population, images, auction data
CoinArchives — auction records and historical images
— Build it as you go —Save images of certified genuine coins from auctions and certified-coin databases. Document known fakes from NGC articles when they appear. Organise by denomination and date — the comparison file is the practical heart of authentication.
Sources
Levine · NGC case studies · Standard catalogues · Auction records
— Reference works for this page —
Levine, Elias (1974).The Coinage and Counterfeits of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. Cape Town: Purnell.
NGC UK (May 2013)."World Coin Counterfeits: South Africa 1895 Gold ½ Pond".
NGC Coin (October 2010)."Counterfeit Detection: Repeating Depression on a Pair of Counterfeit 1893 South Africa 2½ Shillings".
