Jardines Galleries · A reference catalogue of mint errors
Error Coin Encyclopedia.
A comprehensive reference for known minting errors in South African coinage — from ZAR overdates to modern mint mistakes. Errors are planned and authorised pieces that escaped quality control; their value rises with how dramatic the error is and how few survived. South Africa's relatively low mintage figures make authenticated examples exceptionally challenging and rewarding to collect, with the field anchored at the top end by the 1899 Single 9 Pond (~R20 million) and its modern equivalent, the 1989 R2 overstrike on a 10c planchet.
Planchet · Die · Strike
Where in the minting process the error occurredErrors are classified by where in the production sequence they happened. Planchet errors originate in the blank disc before striking. Die errors originate in the dies themselves — cracks, breaks, doubled hubbing, overdates, design problems. Strike errors happen during the actual press cycle — off-centre blanks, broadstrikes, double strikes, brockages, strike-throughs.
The category tells you what malfunctioned; the premium tells you how dramatically. A 5% off-centre strike adds 50–100% to value; a wrong-planchet strike multiplies by 10× to 50×; a unique off-metal strike like the Sammy Marks Tickey trades five orders of magnitude above the regular issue.
South African legends
1899 Single 9 · Sammy Marks · 1892 OS · 1989 R2Five errors anchor the South African field. The 1899 "Single 9" Pond — a single '9' punched over an '8' on an 1898 die — is unique and sold for approximately R20 million in 2010. The 1898 Sammy Marks Tickey — a gold 3d struck with silver dies — has a mintage of just 215 pieces and trades at $15,000–$80,000.
The 1892 Double Shaft and OS initials were design errors that nearly cost Kruger the 1893 election. The 1989 R2 overstrike on a 10c planchet is unique, found on a beach with a metal detector, and described as "the decimal equivalent of the 1899 Single 9 Pond."
Planchet
Stage · Before strikingProblems with the blank: clipping, lamination, wrong metal, wrong denomination, unplated.
Die
Stage · The tools themselvesProblems with the dies: cracks, cuds, doubled dies, overdates, design errors.
Strike
Stage · During the press cycleProblems with the strike: off-centre, broadstrike, double, brockage, strike-through, rotation.
Understanding mint errors
Planned · Authorised · Escaped quality controlError coins are fascinating because they were planned and authorised to be minted, yet through some malfunction, they escaped quality control. They are not counterfeits or fakes — they are real coins, struck on real machinery, that came out wrong. The malfunction can occur at any of three stages of the minting process: planchet preparation, die manufacture or maintenance, or the striking event itself. The taxonomy below follows that production sequence.
South Africa, due to lower mintage figures than major world mints, produces relatively few error coins, making authenticated examples particularly valuable to collectors. Most errors that survive in pocket change are minor — rotated dies and weak strikes. The dramatic errors — wrong-planchet strikes, off-metals, overdates — are exceptional even by world-mint standards.
Planchet errors
Stage 01 · Problems with the blank before strikingThe planchet is the blank disc of metal that becomes the coin once it's struck. Anything that goes wrong before the press cycle is a planchet error — clips, laminations, wrong-metal blanks, wrong-denomination blanks, unplated blanks. The dramatic ones are wrong-planchet and off-metal strikes, where the press hits a blank that shouldn't have been there at all.
Clipped planchet
A crescent-shaped missing section caused when the blanking punch overlaps a previously punched hole. Occurs occasionally on ZAR silver and modern circulation coins.
5–10% clip · +25–50% · 20%+ clip · +100–200%Lamination
Flaking or peeling of metal due to impurities or gas trapped in the alloy. Generally reduces value unless dramatically extensive.
Usually negativeWrong planchet
A coin struck on a planchet intended for another denomination. Extremely rare. The 1989 R2 overstrike on a 10c planchet is the prime SA example; a 1991 Rand on a 1c planchet (1.5g) graded NGC MS 64 BN is another.
+1000–5000%+Off-metal strike
Struck on a planchet of the wrong metal composition. The legendary 1898 Sammy Marks Tickey (gold 3d struck with silver dies, mintage 215) is the most famous SA example — values $15,000–$80,000.
+5000–50000%+Unplated planchet
A 1998 2c struck on an unplated planchet (normally copper-plated) graded NGC MINT ERROR MS 67 — extremely rare.
Significant premiumKaalponde (Bare Pounds)
Unstruck gold blanks that circulated as emergency currency during the Boer War. Rimmed and rimless varieties exist — a category of their own.
War-emergency categoryDie errors
Stage 02 · Problems with the dies themselvesDie errors occur when the dies are defective from manufacture or become damaged during production. These propagate across many strikes — every coin made with the affected die carries the error — so survival rates are higher than for one-off strike errors. The most consequential die errors in SA numismatics are overdates (1899/8 Pond) and design errors (1892 OS / Double Shaft).
Die cracks
Raised lines on the coin caused by cracks in the die. Common on late-state ZAR dies. Minor cracks add little value; major cracks more.
Minor · little premiumDie break (cud)
A raised blob of metal where a piece of the die has broken away. Rare and collectible.
Premium variesDoubled die
Design elements appear doubled due to misalignment during the hubbing process. Some ZAR silver varieties show subtle doubling.
Variety-collector marketOverdated dies
A new date punched over an old one. The famous SA example is the 1899/8 Pond overdate — including the legendary "Single 9" Pond where a single '9' was punched over an '8'. See ZAR section below.
$3k–6k typical · unique = R20MDesign errors
The 1892 ZAR coins featured two: Otto Schultz's "OS" (Afrikaans for "ox") and the incorrect double-shaft wagon. See Berlin Mint Connection.
Variety-collector premiumTagged Ear variety
A 1966 1 Rand Afrikaans with a distinctive "tagged ear" variety — graded NGC AU Details — is an example of a die-variety error.
Variety marketStrike errors
Stage 03 · Problems during the press cycleStrike errors occur during the actual striking of the coin when something disrupts the normal press cycle — a planchet not properly seated, a collar that fails, a coin that fails to eject, a foreign object between die and blank. These are one-off events, so each surviving example is its own piece.
Off-centre strike
Planchet not properly centred between the dies, leaving part of the design missing. SA examples: 1987 1c at 15% off-centre (NGC MS 64 RB); 1992 1c at 5%.
10–20% off · +50–100% · 40%+ · +300–500%Broadstrike
The collar fails, allowing the coin to spread wider than normal. SA examples: 1995 Rand (NGC MS 66) and 1976 20c President Fouché (NGC AU 53).
+200–400%Double / multi-strike
The coin fails to eject and is struck again. Extremely rare.
+500–1000%+Brockage
A mirror-image incuse design caused by a previously struck coin sticking to a die and imprinting onto subsequent planchets. Very rare.
High premium · case-by-caseIndents
Two planchets fed into the collar simultaneously, with one partly covering the other. Very rare types involve different denominations.
High premiumStrike-through
A foreign object — grease, wire, metal fragments — comes between die and planchet. A 1980 Krugerrand with a strike-through error graded NGC MS 66 sold at Heritage Auctions.
Significant premiumDie-adjustment strike
An extremely weak strike produced while adjusting press pressure. Typically destroyed; rarely found in circulation.
Rare survivorsUniface strike
Two planchets in the press simultaneously — each receives only half the design. A side-effect of the indent error.
High premiumRotated dies
One die misaligned relative to the other. Common among South African errors found in pocket change.
Modest premiumEdge designs & the R5 mule planchet
Edge designs are pressed into the blank before striking, so edge errors arise from faulty die fabrication, die damage, or faulty transfer of the design. The most curious SA example is a 10.5-gram copper-nickel planchet of unknown origin carrying the recessed security edge design of a South African 5-rand coin (2004–present). A normal 5-rand weighs 9.4g and is ringed-bimetallic, so this planchet would constitute an "edge design mule" had it actually been struck. It wasn't — making it a planchet curiosity rather than a coin.
ZAR-era errors, 1892 – 1902
Five entries · Two of them legendaryThe Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek's brief decade of coinage produced an outsized share of South Africa's most important error pieces — partly because of the political volatility of the period (the Single 9 emergency overstrike), partly because of the design controversies (OS, Double Shaft), and partly because of the small mintages making any error proportionally rarer.
1899 "Single 9" Pond
Unique · Single '9' over '8' on an 1898 die · ~R20 million (2010)The most famous South African error coin and the highest-priced single piece in the country's numismatic history. Created in 1899, when the Republic's coinage urgently needed re-dating, by punching a single '9' over the '8' on an existing 1898 die — and producing what is now a unique surviving specimen.
Sold for approximately R20 million in 2010. The full story is told on the Pretoria Mint page; it is the page's headline object.
— One known specimen —1899 / 8 Pond
Final '9' over '8' · Scarce · $3,000 – $6,000The standard 1899/8 overdate variety — multiple specimens are known, distinguished from the unique Single 9 by carrying both digits of the original date. Values range from $3,000 – $6,000 depending on condition.
Sammy Marks Tickey
Gold 3d on silver dies · Mintage 215 · $15,000 – $80,000A gold threepence struck with the silver-tickey dies — an off-metal strike with a known mintage of 215 pieces. Values range from $15,000 to $80,000 depending on condition and provenance. The most famous off-metal in SA numismatics.
1892 Double Shaft
Variety · Berlin Mint · Quickly withdrawnThe Berlin Mint incorrectly depicted the wagon with two shafts and equally sized wheels instead of the correct single shaft with large rear wheels. The Double Shaft version was quickly withdrawn, making it scarcer than the corrected Single Shaft. Technically a design error rather than a mint error, but collected as a variety.
OS initials
Otto Schultz · "OS" = "ox" in AfrikaansDesigner Otto Schultz placed his initials "OS" on the shoulder of the Kruger bust. "Os" means ox in Afrikaans — causing political embarrassment that nearly cost Kruger the 1893 election. See the Berlin Mint Connection for the full controversy.
Modern-era errors, 1961 – present
Eight entries · One unique decimal-era marquee pieceThe decimal era's modern errors include broadstrikes, off-centres, wrong-planchet strikes, unplated blanks, and pattern strikes — most of them caught by mint quality control, a few of them famously not. The 1989 R2 overstrike on a 10c planchet is the modern field's anchor piece — the closest decimal-era equivalent to the ZAR Single 9.
1989 R2 overstrike on a 10c planchet
Unique · 1 in ~66 million · Discovered by John Mulder · Found with a metal detector on a beachA 1989 R2 coin struck on a 10c nickel planchet — nine years after the 10c was discontinued. The blank was somehow still in the mint's planchet supply, found its way to the R2 press, and escaped quality control to circulate as ordinary change.
Discovered by John Mulder, found with a metal detector on a beach, and described as "the decimal equivalent of the 1899 Single 9 Pond." See the 1989 R2 Overstrike page for the full story.
— One known specimen —1991 Rand on 1c planchet
1.5g · NGC MINT ERROR MS 64 BNA 1991 Rand struck on a 1c planchet — total weight 1.5g instead of the standard. NGC certified MS 64 BN.
1998 2c on unplated planchet
NGC MINT ERROR MS 67 · Extremely rareA 1998 2c struck on an unplated planchet (normally copper-plated). NGC MS 67. Extremely rare.
Broadstruck errors
1976 20c Fouché (NGC AU 53) · 1995 Rand (NGC MS 66)Two notable broadstrike errors: a 1976 20c President Fouché at NGC AU 53, and a 1995 Rand at NGC MS 66.
Off-centre strikes
1987 · 1992 · 1993 · 19771987 1c at 15% off-centre (NGC MS 64 RB), 1992 1c at 5% (NGC MS 64 BN), 1993 Rand at 5% (NGC MS 62), 1977 Rand at 5% (NGC MS 61).
1987 Pattern aluminium 5c
Possibly testing alternative metals · Nickel-price crisis eraA unique 1987 5c struck in aluminium — possibly a pattern testing alternative metals during the nickel price crisis of the 1980s. The only South African pattern or trial-strike coin with a minting error known to exist.
Bilingual varieties
Single-language strikes · Alternative-language proofs are rareTwo language versions per year for the second-series decimal coinage. Alternative-language proofs are extremely rare — the 1965 20c Afrikaans proof is unique. See the Bilingual Varieties page.
Colour application errors
Misregistration · Missing colourThe Birds & Flowers commemorative series introduced colour-printed elements to South African coinage. Misregistration or missing colour applications are extremely rare — and a relatively new error category for the modern field, since pre-2000s coins didn't carry applied colour at all.
Value guide
Premium ranges by error type · General market guidelinesValues are highly dependent on how dramatic the error is, the condition of the piece, and overall rarity. The premiums below are general guidelines based on market data; actual prices vary significantly with provenance, certification, and individual specimen quality.
| Error type | Typical premium | South African examples |
|---|---|---|
| Minor clip (5–10%) | +25 – 50% | Various circulation coins. |
| Major clip (20%+) | +100 – 200% | ZAR silver, modern base metal. |
| Off-centre (10–20%) | +50 – 100% | 1987 1c at 15% off-centre. |
| Off-centre (40%+) | +300 – 500% | Extremely rare in SA. |
| Broadstrike | +200 – 400% | 1976 20c, 1995 Rand. |
| Double strike | +500 – 1,000%+ | Extremely rare. |
| Wrong planchet | +1,000 – 5,000%+ | 1991 Rand on 1c planchet · 1989 R2 overstrike. |
| Off-metal strike | +5,000 – 50,000%+ | Sammy Marks Tickey · $15,000 – $80,000. |
| Unique errors | Auction value | 1899 Single 9 Pond (~R20M) · 1989 R2 overstrike. |
Why collect error coins?
The closing argumentError coins are fascinating because they are real coins that came out wrong — planned, authorised, struck on real machinery, and somehow released into circulation despite quality control. South Africa, with its lower mintage figures than major world mints, offers exceptionally challenging error collecting; it is genuinely rare to find a coin minted on an incorrect planchet material here, and the dramatic errors that do exist are often unique or near-unique.
For collectors, the field rewards two contrasting strategies: hunting through pocket change for rotated dies, weak strikes, and minor off-centres (the cheap-end approach), or assembling a portfolio of certified major errors at the upper end. Both are legitimate; the same field accommodates the schoolchild with a magnifying glass and the auction buyer paying eight figures for a Single 9.
- NGC Coin Grading — "Mint Error Coin Chronicles: Strike-through Errors," April 2024.
- NGC Coin Grading — "Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 2," November 2019.
- Collectors Society — "morganthebrave error coins" (NGC-certified South African error coins).
- CoinWeek — South African Collector Coin Series.
- Coin World — "Edging errors: Collectors' Clearinghouse."
- MoneyToday — "Most Wanted Old South African Coins for Cash," 2025.
- Bob Shop — 1987 Pattern Aluminium 5 Cent Coin.
- NGC Registry — ZAR Pond 1874–1902, Circulation issue.
- The Scoin Shop — The ZAR Collection.
- Levine, Elias — The Coinage and Counterfeits of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, 1974.
- Cross-references: 1989 R2 Overstrike, Pretoria Mint, Berlin Mint Connection, Bilingual Varieties.