Jardines Galleries · Biographical Reference
The People Behind the Coins.
Biographies of the presidents, engravers, mint officials, bank governors, and key collectors who shaped South African numismatics — from Thomas Burgers commissioning the first gold coin to Otto Schultz at the Berlin Mint to P.J. Kloppers at Pilgrim's Rest, and the modern researchers and society leaders carrying the work forward.
Curated by Ben & Johan Ungerer · The Jardines Curatorial Desk
Otto Schultz
1848 – 1911 · Berlin
German engraver, Second Medallist at the Berlin Mint. Schultz's skill at producing lifelike, deeply engraved portraiture in metal is readily seen in his rendering of the bust of President Paul Kruger. He had a long list of engraving triumphs to his name by the time he was entrusted with the Transvaal coinage, including a number of splendid royal medals. His specialty was medals, and this skill is evident in the crispness of detail and sharpness of rims on the 1892 proofs.
He trained with the Loos medallic business, worked with L.C. Wyon at the Royal Mint London, and became Second Medallist at the Berlin Mint under Emil Weigand. Schultz engraved all ZAR dies from 1892 to 1900. His initials "O.S." on early 1892 issues caused a political scandal — Afrikaans os meaning "ox" — but his portrait of President Kruger remains in use on the Krugerrand today. The Berlin Münzkabinett holds his original wax models, alongside various striking tools for South African coins in the former die archive of the Berlin Mint.
P.J. Kloppers
Pilgrim's Rest · 1902
A former school teacher with no professional experience as a die sinker, Kloppers was tasked with creating the dies for the 1902 Veldpond at Pilgrim's Rest. He wisely opted for simplicity, creating one of the crudest and most distinctive coin types of the 20th century.
His design featured a proudly defiant "ZAR" monogram with the date 1902 on the obverse, and the denomination "EEN POND" on the reverse. One obverse die became notched during the brief production run — resulting in the celebrated "slash" variety visible on some specimens, now among the most prized varieties in South African numismatics.
The Gold Behind the Coins
For a deeper exploration of Otto Schultz's work at the Berlin Mint and P.J. Kloppers' role in creating the Veldpond — including the gold sources behind the 1892 ZAR coinage — see the dedicated research page.
Presidents & Authorities
Founding Figures · The Authorising HandThe presidents and founding officials whose authority commissioned the coins, decorations, and instruments before any engraver cut a die or any mint pressed a planchet. In pre-Union republican government, the line from presidential signature to struck artefact was direct — sometimes uncomfortably so, as the Volksraad pandemonium that greeted the 1874 Burgerspond demonstrated.
Thomas François Burgers
1834 – 1881 · Fourth President, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
Burgers' four-year presidency (1872 – 1877) produced more numismatic, civic, and cultural foundations than any other single window in pre-Union South African history. A theologian and intellectual by formation, he treated the office as an instrument for state-building — commissioning the symbols of an officially-recognised republic before the Volksraad had agreed to authorise them. In a single calendar year, 1874, he laid down three of those foundations.
His administration fell to British annexation under Sir Theophilus Shepstone in April 1877. The three projects survived in fragments — the coins as collector rarities, the anthem as a republican memory, the mint as an unanswered archival question. Three foundational acts, halted before completion, on presidential authority alone.
The Burgerspond
South Africa's first gold coin. 837 struck at Heaton's Mint, Birmingham, from Transvaal-mined gold. Presented to a Volksraad that erupted in pandemonium at the sight of his face on the obverse. Read the reference →
The Burgers' Cross
South Africa's first Presidential Award, recognised as such by recent WCNS research. Three gold crosses pattée — two Pilgrim's Rest nurses, plus Catharina van Rees of Utrecht, composer of the ZAR national anthem. Read the reference →
The mint that almost was
Prof Arndt's 1922 New York archives discovery: a contemporary statement that Burgers had ordered actual mint machinery. Eighteen years before the Pretoria Mint finally opened. No surviving order or shipping manifest has yet been found.
Engravers and Designers
Eight Further Hands Behind the MetalBeyond Schultz and Kloppers, a small constellation of British, Australian, and South African artists supplied the dies and motifs that defined more than a century of currency — from the Royal Mint engravers of the Burgerspond and Union pound to the Mint designers behind today's commemoratives.
Leonard Charles Wyon
Engraver to the Royal Mint, son of William Wyon. He prepared the dies for the 1874 Burgerspond, a private commission for the South African Republic. His initials "L.C.W." appear on the obverse of the Burgerspond.
Coert Steynberg
Prominent South African sculptor. He became the first South African artist on coinage when his springbok design was used for the 1947 Royal Visit Crown. That same springbok was later adopted for the reverse of the Krugerrand (1967), making it one of the most widely recognised designs in the world.
George Kruger Gray
British artist and medallist. He designed the ship reverse for the Union halfpenny and penny (1923 – 1960) and the protea for the sixpence (1925 – 1960). His initials "KG" can be found on the ship coins, on the waves below the hull.
Sir Bertram Mackennal
Australian sculptor. He created the obverse portrait of King George V used on Union coinage from 1923 to 1936. His initials "B.M." appear on the truncation of the King's bust.
Tommy Sasseen
South African designer who worked for the South African Mint. He designed the obverse of the 1-cent coin (1965, with the koppie and aloe), the reverse of the 10-cent coin (aloe plant), and the 20-cent reverse (cabbage tree). His initials "TS" appear on these coins.
Arthur Sutherland
South African artist. He designed the obverse of the 1995 Rugby World Cup R2 silver coin — a portrait of a rugby player. His initials "AS" appear on the obverse.
Linda Lotriet
South African designer. She created the reverse of the 1995 Rugby World Cup R2 silver coin, featuring three rugby players in action. Her initials "LL" appear on the reverse.
Susan Erasmus
Designer at the South African Mint. She designed the 2010 FIFA World Cup R5 circulation coin (the "Football and Map" design) and the 2013 Mandela "Life of a Legend" R2 coin (Mandela's portrait).
Nathalee Frankel
South African Mint designer. She created the reverse of the 2016 Crown & Tickey coin (the Pratley Putty tribute) and several Natura series reverses.
Mint Officials
Directors, Technicians, and ChroniclersThe administrators and technicians who built and ran the mints — from the German engineer who equipped Pretoria's first presses to the modern South African Mint MDs who oversaw the 2021 Lost Hoard discovery.
Friedrich Munscheid
Former Works Inspector of the Royal Prussian Mint, appointed Director of the Pretoria Mint. The German technical advisor who helped equip the new mint and trained local staff.
J.T. Becklake
Official of the Royal Mint branch in Pretoria. Published the mintage figures for ZAR and Union coinage in 1965 — figures still cited as standard today.
Prof. E.H.D. Arndt
South African historian, author of The South African Mints (1939) — a detailed account of minting operations that remains the foundational work on the subject.
Dr. Hugo Hammerich
Preserved the records of ZAR coinage produced in Berlin and published Die Deutschen Reichsmünzen (1905) — a key source for ZAR mintage details.
Honey Mamobolo
Former Managing Director of the South African Mint who announced the Lost Hoard discovery in 2021 — one of the most consequential modern numismatic events in SA.
Tumi Tsehlo
Former Managing Director of the South African Mint, predecessor to Mamobolo, who oversaw the modernisation programme through the 2010s.
Dion Swanepoel
Architect of the Mint's IT department and the original CIM (Computer-Integrated Manufacturing) implementation in the 1990s — the digital backbone of modern SA coinage.
Marc van Gool
Co-architect of the Mint's computer systems alongside Swanepoel, instrumental in the rollout of the integrated production line.
Ludwig Loewe & Co.
Not an individual but the Berlin firm that manufactured the two mint presses ordered by President Kruger in 1891 — the machinery that produced the entire ZAR series.
L. Ostermann
Owner of a private mint in Berlin that struck the 25 "Glück auf Transvaal" commemorative medals in copper.
Governors of the South African Reserve Bank
1921 — present · Signatures on the NotesEvery SARB Governor since 1921 — and the banknote series each signature appears on. Their authority is what gives the paper its standing.
| Governor | Term | Signature appears on |
|---|---|---|
| W.H. Clegg | 1921 – 1931 | First SARB banknotes |
| J. Postmus | 1931 – 1945 | First SARB banknotes |
| M.H. de Kock | 1945 – 1962 | Pre-decimal and first decimal notes |
| Dr. Gerhard Rissik | 1962 – 1967 | First decimal notes |
| Dr. Theunis de Jongh | 1967 – 1980 | Van Riebeeck series notes |
| Dr. Gerhard de Kock | 1981 – 1989 | Van Riebeeck series notes |
| Dr. Chris Stals | 1989 – 1999 | Mamelodi (Big Five) series notes |
| Tito Mboweni | 1999 – 2009 | Mamelodi (Big Five) series notes |
| Gill Marcus | 2009 – 2014 | Mandela series notes |
| Lesetja Kganyago | 2014 – present | Mandela series and polymer notes |
Collectors and Researchers
Authors, Cataloguers, Named CabinetsThe collectors whose cabinets and the researchers whose books built the modern South African numismatic record — including the named collections that recur as provenance lines in today's auction catalogues.
Elias Levine
Author of The Coinage and Counterfeits of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (1974) — the foundational work on ZAR coins. His personal cabinet provides provenance for the Sammy Marks Tickey.
Brian Hern
Compiler of The Standard Catalogue of South African Coins, Medals and Tokens (annual) — the essential price guide and reference for South African collectors.
Pierre H. Nortje
Secretary of the Western Cape Numismatic Society and author of numerous research articles on ZAR and Union coinage.
Dr. Lawrence A. Adams
Collector and researcher whose cabinet was sold through Noonans — a recurring provenance on important SA pieces in recent auctions.
Dr. Frank Becker
Formed a renowned collection of ZAR half-ponds, sold by Spink in 2023 — one of the most important modern dispersals of the series.
Gatsby Collection
Modern collection of ZAR and commemorative coins, sold by Heritage in 2025. A recent benchmark for ZAR market depth.
Orange River Collection
Important collection of ZAR gold, sold by Heritage in 2012 — long the reference point for top-end ZAR pricing.
Read Collection
Early collection that included a Sammy Marks Tickey (sold 2013) — a key provenance line for one of the rarest of all SA coins.
E.A. Hohmann
Owned two 1892 proof sets and two "Glück auf Transvaal" medals, purchased in Berlin in 1954. A direct provenance link to the Berlin Mint records.
Bakewell Collection
Complete graded Union of South Africa set, featured in the PCGS Set Registry — a benchmark complete-set assembly.
Thomas van der Spuy
First recipient of the revived Bergman Trophy for his complete graded ZAR set — a major modern milestone in SA collecting.
Walter Bergman
Donor of the Bergman Trophy and author of A History of Regular and Emergency Paper Money Issues of South Africa (1968).
Major J. Piek
First President of the South African Numismatic Society in 1941 — the founding figure of organised SA numismatics.
Waldo Human
Founding President of the Western Cape Numismatic Society in 2021. Passed away in 2022.
Jonathan Odes
Current President of the Western Cape Numismatic Society, continuing the work begun by Waldo Human.
The references
Sources for the Biographies- Hern, Brian.The Standard Catalogue of South African Coins, Medals and Tokens (annual).
- Western Cape Numismatic Society articles2023 – 2025. Pierre Nortje's research corpus, including the Burgers' Cross monograph and the Perfect Forgery essay series.
- South African Mint publications and newsletters.Modern designer credits and Lost Hoard reporting.
- Auction cataloguesHeritage, Noonans, Spink — the named-cabinet provenance lines that recur in the modern market.
- PCGS CoinFacts and NGC Coin reference databases.Designer attribution, mintmark, and series detail.
- Berlin Münzkabinett / museum-digitalSüdafrika: 1892. Original Schultz wax models and ZAR die archive.
- Heritage AuctionsSouth Africa: Republic gold "Veld" Pond 1902 MS65 NGC.
- Arndt, Prof. E.H.D.The South African Mints (1939) — and the 1922 New York archival note on Burgers' mint-machinery enquiry, preserved by WCNS.