Years of Error
1948 – early 1990s
Correct ID
Bartholomeus Vermuyden (c.1617-1650)
Artist
Dirck Craey
Location
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The Face That Never Was
How a Dutchman who never visited South Africa became the face of its currency for over 40 years
For decades, South African banknotes, coins, and stamps bore the image of Jan van Riebeeck – the "founder" of the Cape Colony. There was only one problem: the man in the portrait was not Jan van Riebeeck at all, but a Dutch military officer named Bartholomeus Vermuyden who died two years before Van Riebeeck even set sail for the Cape. This is the story of one of the most remarkable and persistent errors in numismatic history.
Key Facts
- Error duration: 1948 – early 1990s
- Total affected series: Over 30 banknote varieties
- Corrected: Formally rejected in 1985
- Artwork: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Who Was Jan van Riebeeck?
Jan van Riebeeck (1619–1677) was a Dutch navigator and colonial administrator employed by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). On 6 April 1652, he arrived in Table Bay with three ships and established a refreshment station that would grow into Cape Town – the first permanent European settlement in South Africa [citation:2].
Despite his historical significance, no authentic portrait of Van Riebeeck was known for centuries. His face had been forgotten – that is, until 1884, when a collection of paintings was donated to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and a face was chosen to represent him [citation:1].
The Mistake That Fooled a Nation
The 1884 Acquisition
In 1884, a collection of 25 portraits, purported to be from the Van Riebeeck family, was donated to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. One painting was immediately deemed to be an authentic depiction of Jan van Riebeeck – seemingly confirmed by both its provenance and an inscription on the back [citation:1].
Early Doubts Ignored
Doubts about the portrait's authenticity emerged soon after its discovery. By 1912, another portrait from the same collection was identified as being the authentic Van Riebeeck. Yet the first, incorrect painting had already become deeply entrenched as the standard image [citation:1].
The 1952 Tercentenary – A Missed Opportunity
In 1952, on the occasion of the Jan van Riebeeck tercentenary, the Rijksmuseum was consulted and – inexplicably – confirmed the identity of the first portrait. This official confirmation cemented the image in the public consciousness at the very moment it was being immortalized on banknotes and in statues [citation:1].
The Truth Emerges (1985)
It was only in 1985 that the attribution of the first Van Riebeeck painting was firmly rejected in favour of the second. The man in the portrait was finally identified as likely depicting one Bartholomeus Vermuyden [citation:1]. Genealogist Jonkheer van Kretschmar concluded in 1984 that the painting from which the image was borrowed was not of Van Riebeeck, but probably of another Dutchman named Bartholomeus Vermuyden [citation:2].
️ The Impostor: Bartholomeus Vermuyden
The painting by Dirck Craey, long mistaken as Jan van Riebeeck – now identified as Bartholomeus Vermuyden [citation:1][citation:6]
Who Was Bartholomeus Vermuyden?
Bartholomeus Vermuyden (c. 1617 – 1650) was a military man with a fascinating but tragically short life [citation:1]:
- First served in England under Oliver Cromwell
- From 1649, served in the Dutch infantry as a captain
- Died in August 1650 – two years before Van Riebeeck set sail for the Cape
He had no known connection with South Africa or the Dutch East India Company's settlement at the Cape. Yet, because of an initial misidentification perpetuated by nationalist desire for an attractive symbol, Vermuyden, despite his complete absence from South African history, unwittingly became the country's most notorious nationalist symbol centuries after his death. His painting is perhaps one of the most reprinted works in the collection of the Rijksmuseum [citation:1].
The Artist: Dirck Craey
The portrait was painted by Dirck Craey, a Dutch artist active in the mid-17th century. His work, now in the Rijksmuseum's permanent collection, gained international fame it never would have otherwise – all because of a misattribution that turned it into one of the most reproduced paintings in the museum's history [citation:1][citation:6].
Impact on South African Currency
Banknotes (1948 – early 1990s)
The mistaken portrait began appearing on South African banknotes from 1948, when the first "Van Riebeeck" series was introduced. It continued through the decimalization of 1961 and remained until the series was replaced by the "Big Five" Mamelodi series in the early 1990s [citation:5].
Pre‑Decimal Notes (1948‑1960)
The portrait first appeared on pound notes, including the 1951 £1 note featuring Van Riebeeck's portrait at left with ships sailing toward Table Mountain [citation:4].
First Decimal Series (1961‑1967)
The error carried over to the new rand currency. A 1967 one‑rand note shows the same mistaken portrait on the left [citation:7].
Van Riebeeck Series (1967‑1992)
The longest‑running South African banknote series continued to feature the incorrect image. A 1978‑1990 R2 note in the British Museum collection shows the portrait that was, by then, already known to be false [citation:3].
Total Affected Notes
Over 30 different banknote varieties carried the face of Bartholomeus Vermuyden, mistakenly labelled as Jan van Riebeeck [citation:5].
Coins and Stamps
The same erroneous portrait appeared on:
- Coins: Many decimal coins featured the same portrait, especially the ½c, 1c, 2½c, 5c, 10c, 20c, and 50c of the first decimal series (1961‑1964) which bore a forward‑facing bust of "Jan van Riebeeck".
- Stamps: Numerous South African postage stamps, particularly those issued for the 1952 tercentenary, propagated the same incorrect image.
The Statues – A Double Deception
The Van Riebeeck Statue, Cape Town
On 18 May 1899, Cape Town mayor Thomas Ball unveiled the statue of Jan van Riebeeck on the site where he reportedly stepped ashore in 1652. Present was the council of the City of Cape Town. Absent was the sponsor of the statue: Cecil John Rhodes [citation:8].
Rhodes had commissioned a Scottish sculptor, John Tweed, to complete the statue. Rhodes set two pre‑conditions: his name should appear on the statue, not Tweed's, and the statue should be larger than life‑size [citation:8].
"The deception was at the conception. In the absence of an appropriate representation of Van Riebeeck, an image of Bartholomeus Vermuyden was used. Subsequently, the image appeared on coins, banknotes, stamps, tourists brochures and textbooks to project a false image of Van Riebeeck." [citation:8]
His Wife's Statue – An Additional Error
The error extended to Van Riebeeck's wife, Maria van Riebeeck née Maria de la Quellerie. No authentic image of her existed, so her statue in Cape Town instead shows the face of the wife of the chairperson of the Dutch committee, Mr Kettering, who helped organise the Van Riebeeck Festival in Cape Town – an important event for the Nationalist apartheid government in 1952 [citation:8].
The Two Faces – A Comparison
| Feature | Bartholomeus Vermuyden (The Impostor) | Jan van Riebeeck (The Real Man) |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | c. 1617 – 1650 [citation:1] | 1619 – 1677 [citation:2] |
| Connection to SA | None – died two years before Van Riebeeck sailed | Founded Cape Town in 1652 |
| Profession | Military captain (English & Dutch service) | VOC administrator, colonial governor |
| Appearance | Dashing, handsome figure [citation:5] | Markedly different, less flattering [citation:2] |
| Legacy | Unwittingly became South Africa's national symbol for decades | His true face remains largely unknown |
Timeline of the Error
- 1650: Bartholomeus Vermuyden dies – two years before Van Riebeeck sails for the Cape.
- 1884: A collection of 25 portraits is donated to the Rijksmuseum. One painting is identified as Jan van Riebeeck [citation:1].
- 1899: The Van Riebeeck statue (based on the mistaken portrait) is unveiled in Cape Town, sponsored by Cecil Rhodes [citation:8].
- 1912: Another portrait from the same collection is proposed as the authentic Van Riebeeck [citation:1].
- 1948: The mistaken portrait first appears on South African banknotes [citation:5].
- 1952: Rijksmuseum (inexplicably) reconfirms the first portrait's identity during the tercentenary [citation:1].
- 1961: The error is carried over to decimal currency.
- 1984: Genealogist Jonkheer van Kretschmar concludes the portrait is not Van Riebeeck, but likely Bartholomeus Vermuyden [citation:2].
- 1985: Rijksmuseum formally rejects the first painting's attribution [citation:1].
- Early 1990s: The "Van Riebeeck" series banknotes are finally replaced by the "Big Five" Mamelodi series.
Relevance for Collectors
Collectible Value
These notes are now highly collectible precisely because of this fascinating error. They represent a tangible piece of one of numismatics' greatest historical mistakes. As one collector noted, these notes "teach us about our past, with all its faults" [citation:8].
Identification Tips
All South African banknotes and coins featuring a portrait labelled "Jan van Riebeeck" between 1948 and the early 1990s actually depict Bartholomeus Vermuyden. This includes:
- Pre‑decimal pound notes (1948‑1960)
- First decimal notes (1961‑1967)
- Van Riebeeck series (1967‑1992)
- First decimal coin series (1961‑1964)
️ Museum Holdings
Major institutions holding examples of these notes include:
- British Museum, London [citation:3]
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History [citation:4]
- Aberdeen Museums [citation:7]
Further Reading
- Rijksmuseum online catalogue
- Van Kretschmar, J. (1984) – Genealogical research
- "The Mistaken Face of South Africa" – Roberts World Money [citation:5]
Sources
- Wikimedia Commons. "File:Bartholomeus Vermuyden.png" – Rijksmuseum collection notes [citation:1]
- Namibian Sun. "Jan van Riebeeck old SA money lie exposed" (11 January 2015) [citation:2]
- British Museum. Collection: 2005,1049.195 – R2 banknote (1978‑1990) [citation:3]
- National Museum of American History. "1 Pound, South African Reserve Bank, South Africa, 1951" [citation:4]
- Roberts World Money. "The Mistaken Face of South Africa" (19 October 2018) [citation:5]
- Aberdeen City Council. "One-rand Note (South Africa)" (1967) [citation:7]
- PressReader / Cape Times. "City's Statues: If Rhodes must fall, Van Riebeeck must also fall" [citation:8]
- Geheugen van Nederland / Delpher. Painting by C. Bell (1800) [citation:9]