Early Colonial
1652–1825 (VOC duits, rixdollars)
First Gold
1874 Burgerspond
ZAR Era
1892–1902 (Kruger coins)
Emergency
1902 Veldpond
Pre‑Union Coinage
From Dutch VOC duits to the last gold of the Boer Republic – a comprehensive guide to the coins of South Africa before the Union of 1910.
Key Rarities
- 1874 Burgerspond (837 minted)
- 1892 Double Shaft Pond
- 1898 Sammy Marks Tickey (215 minted)
- 1902 Veldpond (986 minted)
New Research
The Gold Behind the Coins: Sources of the 1892 ZAR Coinage and the Birth of the Veldpond
A fascinating investigation into the origins of the gold used for the first ZAR coins struck in Berlin and the emergency minting of the 1902 Veldpond at Pilgrim's Rest. Includes profiles of key figures Otto Schultz and P.J. Kloppers, and open research questions for collectors.
Read the Article️ Early Colonial (1652–1873)
VOC Period (1652–1795)
- Dutch guilders, stuivers, duiten
- Spanish reales (pieces of eight)
- 1782: First VOC duit struck specifically for the Cape
- First paper money: 1782 (rixdollar and stiver notes)
British Colonial (1806–1873)
- 1825: Sterling introduced as legal tender
- Private banknotes from 1830s
- 1837: Cape of Good Hope Bank (first private bank)
- 30+ private banks issued notes 1837–1921
1874 Burgerspond – South Africa's First Gold Coin
Overview
Struck from local Transvaal gold at Heaton's Mint, Birmingham. President Burgers' vanity project that sparked a political scandal.
- Fine Beard: 695 minted
- Coarse Beard: 142 minted
- Engraver: Leonard C. Wyon
Latest Auction Records
- 2025 Schulman – Coarse Beard MS62: €50,000
- 2025 Heritage – Coarse Beard MS65: est. $58,768
- 2013 Heritage – Coarse Beard MS64+: $128,500
Learn More
️ Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (1892–1902)
The Collector's Paradox
Before building a ZAR set, collectors must understand one of the most counter-intuitive facts about the series: lower mintage does not always mean higher value.
️ 1892: Berlin Mint
- Double Shaft errors
- "O.S." initials (Afrikaans "ox")
- Saved by collectors – many high-grade survive
🇿🇦 1893-1897: Pretoria Mint
- Corrected single shaft design
- Heavy circulation – few high-grade survive
- 1893 Florin: key date, PCGS MS64 at R650,000
ZAR Coin Pages
Gold
Silver & Bronze
Special Issues
Collecting Guides
1902 Veldpond – Emergency War Coinage
Key Facts
- Mintage: 986 pieces
- Survival: ~350-400
- Die sinker: P.J. Kloppers (school teacher)
- Location: Pilgrim's Rest, Mpumalanga
Latest Auction Records
- 2024 St. James's – £38,000
- 2025 Heritage – NGC MS65 – $33,600
- 2023 Schulman – €28,000
Learn More
️ Griqua Issues
Griqua Tokens (c.1815–1816)
London Missionary Society tokens – South Africa's first autonomous coinage. 4 denominations: ¼d, ½d (copper), 5d, 10d (silver). Extremely rare.
Griqualand‑East £1 Note (1868)
Unissued currency of an independent Griqua state – 20,000 printed, less than a dozen survive.
Minting History
Berlin Mint Connection
How Prussian precision shaped South Africa's first coinage – Otto Schultz, his wax models preserved at the Berlin Münzkabinett, and the 1892 errors.
Oom Paul Press
The legendary minting press that struck South African coins for 132 years (1892–2024).
Pretoria Mint (1893–1900)
South Africa's first mint, located on Church Square, Pretoria.
Key Collectors & Research
Essential References
- Levine, Elias: The Coinage and Counterfeits of the Zuid‑Afrikaansche Republiek (1974)
- Hern, Brian: The Standard Catalogue of South African Coins
- Becklake, J.T.: Mintage research (1965)
Famous Collections
- Dr. Frank Becker – half‑pond collection (Spink 2023)
- Gatsby Collection – Heritage 2025
- Orange River Collection – ZAR gold (Heritage 2012)
- Hohmann Collection – 1892 Proof Set
People
- People Behind the Coins – Otto Schultz, P.J. Kloppers, etc.
Sources
- Hern, Brian. The Standard Catalogue of South African Coins, Medals and Tokens (annual).
- Western Cape Numismatic Society articles (2023–2025).
- Berlin Münzkabinett / museum-digital. "Südafrika: 1892" .
- Heritage Auctions. Various auction catalogues.