Obsolete currency
The
coins of the South African pound
were part of the physical form of South Africa's historical currency, the
South African pound
. Prior to the
Union of 1910
, various authorities issued their own pounds, some as independent entities. After the Union but before 1923, coins in circulation were mostly British, but the coins of
Paul Kruger
's
South African Republic
remained in circulation. In 1923, South Africa began to issue its own coins, adopting coins that were identical in size and value to those used in Great Britain: 12
pence
(12d) = 1
shilling
(1s), and 20s = 1
pound
(£1). On 14 February 1961, the
Union of South Africa
adopted a
decimal currency
, replacing the pound with the
Rand
.
The term "Tickey" was used as a nickname for the 3d coin.
[1]
It was also used for its replacement, the 2
1
⁄
2
c coin.
[2]
The introduction of the pound
[
edit
]
The
Cape of Good Hope
was a Dutch colony administered by the
Dutch East India Company
between 1652 and 1795. In that year it was seized by British forces, returned to the Dutch under the
Treaty of Amiens
, seized again in 1806 and seceded to Britain under the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
. After the 1806 seizure, the military administrator issued a proclamation prohibiting the export of coinage and fixing the relationship of the various coins in the colony.
[3]
The relative values were:
During the succeeding years, British coins were introduced, but paper
rijksdaalders
which were nominally worth four English shillings continued to circulate until 1 January 1826 when British currency became the sole legal tender in the Cape Colony
[3]
and paper rijksdaalders were redeemed at 1s 6
1
⁄
2
d each.
[4]
Coins of the South African Republic
[
edit
]
The
South African Republic
(Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek), established under the
Sand River Convention
of 1852, was one of the two principal 19th century Boer republics. It was later to become the
Transvaal
, one of the four provinces of the
Union of South Africa
from 1910 to 1961, and a province of the Republic of South Africa from 1961 to 1994.
Although nominally an independent country, it was under British
suzerainty
apart from the period from 1877 to 1881 when it was under direct British rule. This has led to a debate as to whether its coinage should be classified as being a
Commonwealth
coinage, considering its constitutional status.
The Burgerspond of 1874
[
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]
South African 1874 Burgerspond,
fine beard
variety
[5]
The Burgerspond, struck at
Heaton's Mint
, Birmingham, England, was the first coin to have been struck for any entity that later became part of South Africa.
In 1853, the
South African Republic Volksraad
received its first petition for an indigenous coinage. It was not until 1874 that the President of the South African Republic,
Thomas Francois Burgers
responded to such a request. He sent 300 ounces of gold to J.J. Pratt, the Republic's Consul-General in London with a request that coins the size of the English sovereign be struck. Pratt contracted with Heatons to strike the coins as requested. Two batches of coins were struck ? the first batch of 695 coins became known as the
fine beard
type and the second batch of 142 coins being known as the
coarse beard
type.
[3]
When the first issue (the fine beard variety) was presented to members of the
Volksraad
some scorned the coins that carried Burger's image. The symbolism represented foolish pride to a very religious community, but others supported Pratt for producing the first coinage for the Republic.
[5]
Kruger Coins of 1892?1900
[
edit
]
The discovery of gold in the
Witwatersrand
in 1885 turned the South African Republic from an impoverished state dominated by farmers to one where fortunes could be made from mining. In 1892
President Kruger
, facing an election campaign, ordered the building of a mint and the striking of the republic's first full coinage series. The government, which contained a number of Hollanders and Germans, debated whether to base the Republic's coinage on the British coinage or whether to introduce a decimal coinage. Eventually it was decided to adopt the British coinage system as the basis of the Republic's system.
[3]
There were 12
pence
in one
shilling
, and 20 shillings in one pond. These coins depict the portrait of the President Kruger. The name of the Republic was the
Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
, which was abbreviated as
ZAR
on the
obverse
of the 1d, the 2
1
⁄
2
s, the 5s, the 1/2 pond, and the 1 pond.
The coins of the 1892 issue were struck at the Royal Prussian Mint in
Berlin
. The others were struck at the South African Republic's Mint in
Pretoria
.
There are two types of Kruger coins:
Single Shaft
and
Double Shaft
, which is derived from the
wagon
depicted in the Republic's
coat of arms
. The
Double Shaft
coins are known by the nickname
Disselboom
, which is
Afrikaans
for
Double Shaft
. The 1892
Single Shaft
pond coin is a unique coin. The
Disselboom
coins are the 1892
1
⁄
2
pond and 5s coins. One has to be very careful, as there are
forgeries
of the
Disselboom
coins, especially the 5s. A genuine
Disselboom
5s must have the wheels on the wagon the same size.
These coins were minted under the Presidency of Paul Kruger and bear his bust on the reverse and the coat of arms of the ZAR on the obverse.
[6]
Penny 1898. Bronze, 9.43 g.
- Penny (1D/pence): minted from 1892 until 1894 and then only 1898
- Tickey (3D): minted from 1892 until 1897
- Six Pence (6D): minted from 1892 until 1897
- Shilling (1S): minted from 1892 until 1897
- Two Shillings (2S):minted from 1892 until 1897
- Half Crown (2.5S): minted from 1892 until 1897
- Crown (5S): minted solely in 1892 with both a single and a double shaft
- Half Pond (£1/2): minted from 1892 until 1897
- Pond (£1): minted from 1892 until 1902
†
- Blank Pond (£1): minted in 1900 with either a rim or without one
- Veldpond (£1): only minted in 1902
[7]
†
An 1899 pond was not minted because the dies, made in Germany, were intercepted and confiscated by the British. As an alternative, the Boer government used 1898 dies and punched a 9 on the obverse to signify 1899. Only one such coin was struck and came to be known as the "Single 9". The other 130 coins in the batch were stamped with two smaller 9s and came to be known as the "Double 99".
[8]
The Sammy Marks Tickey of 1898
[
edit
]
A Sammy Marks Tickey of 1898, depicting Kruger
This very rare coin is the same design as the Tickey of 1892?97, but dated 1898 and struck only in 22
carat
(92%) gold. There are 215 pieces known. These were struck by the mining
magnate
Sammy Marks
. There were also contemporary jewellers' copies struck at the same time. The jewellers' copies are also in 22 carat (92%) gold, but they can be identified by the lack of stops in the Z.A.R. monogram at the top of the reverse. The jewellers' copies of the Sammie Marks Tickey are popular with
Commonwealth of Nations
coin collectors.
The Veld Pond and the Kaal Pond
[
edit
]
The
Second Anglo-Boer War
broke out in October 1899 and in June 1900 the British under
Lord Roberts
occupied Pretoria, the capital of the South African Republic. When Roberts' entry into Pretoria was imminent, the Boer Government left, taking with them any precious metals at the Pretoria Mint. Amongst the metals were a number of pond blanks that were ready for striking. These were put into circulation and became known as
kaal ponde
[naked pounds].
[3]
The Government set up an emergency mint at
Pilgrim's Rest
where a total of 986
Veld Ponde
were struck and put into circulation. These coins, struck from hand-made dies, had the South African Republic monogram
Z.A.R
and the date (1902) on the obverse and the text
EEN POND
on the reverse.
[3]
[9]
Kruger pond brass token
[
edit
]
There is a
brass
token
that is often confused with the Kruger 1 pond coin. The giveaway is in the scroll below the coat of arms. Instead of the normal motto, it is inscribed 'IMITATION KRUGER SOVEREIGN'.
Coins of the Union of South Africa
[
edit
]
From 1923 coins of the Union of South Africa were struck at the Royal Mint, Pretoria. In 1941, the Government of South Africa took over the mint. It was renamed the
South African Mint
, although it continued to produce coins based on the British coinage for some years thereafter.
King George V first coinage (1923?25/30)
[
edit
]
The 2/- was struck under both the first and second coinages of King George V.
- 1
⁄
4
d. Reverse inscribed '
1
⁄
4
Penny
1
⁄
4
': 1923, 1924.
- 1
⁄
2
d. Reverse inscribed '
1
⁄
2
Penny
1
⁄
2
': 1923?1926.
- 1d. Reverse inscribed '1 Penny 1': 1923, 1924.
- 3d. '3' in wreath: 1923?1925.
- 6d. '6' in wreath: 1923, 1924.
- 1/-. Reverse inscribed 'SHILLING': 1923, 1924.
- 2/-. florin: 1923?1930.
- 2/6. Reverse inscribed '2
1
⁄
2
SHILLING': 1923?1925.
- 1
⁄
2
sovereign, British type, but with 'SA' mintmark added: 1923SA, 1925SA, 1926SA.
- 1 sovereign, British type, but with 'SA' mintmark added: 1923SA, 1925SA, 1926SA, 1927SA, 1928SA, 1929SA, 1930SA, 1931SA, 1932SA.
King George V second coinage (1925?30)
[
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]
1929 Penny
The reverse of all coins for this era were designed by
George Kruger Gray
.
King George V third coinage (1931?36)
[
edit
]
The previous designs by
George Kruger Gray
for the reverse of all coins was continued.
King George VI first coinage (1937?47)
[
edit
]
The obverse features the uncrowned King George VI design by
T. Humphrey Paget
. The previous reverse designs by
George Kruger Gray
for all coins was continued.
King George VI second coinage (1948?50)
[
edit
]
George VI depicted on a 1943 farthing of South Africa
The obverse continued the previous design by
T. Humphrey Paget
. The previous reverse designs by
George Kruger Gray
for all coins was continued except the 5-Shillings coin which features a prancing Springbok against a Karoo background designed by
Coert Steynberg
.
King George VI third coinage (1951?52)
[
edit
]
300th Anniversary of the founding of Cape Town, designed by Marion Walgate for the 1952 5-Shillings.
The obverse continued the previous design by
T. Humphrey Paget
and the reverse the previous designs by
George Kruger Gray
.
The 5-Shillings coin dated 1952 was a commemorative issue celebrating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Cape Town.
[10]
The obverse continued the previous design by T. Humphrey Paget and the reverse a design by Marion Walgate.
Queen Elizabeth II coinage (1953?60)
[
edit
]
The obverse features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II designed by
Mary Gillick
, while the reverse continued the previous designs by
George Kruger Gray
except the 5-Shillings coin which was designed by
Coert Steynberg
.
The 5-Shillings coin dated 1960 however was a commemorative issue celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Union of South Africa. The obverse continued the previous design by T. Humphrey Paget and the reverse a design by
Hilda Mason
[11]
depicting the
Union Buildings
in Pretoria.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Hear the Tickey Bottle Tinkle
,
The Rotarian
, June 1954, page 51
- ^
"
'Decimal Dan' Sings: Catchy Tune Teaches New Currency"
. The Spokesman-Review. 10 January 1961
. Retrieved
5 September
2012
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Rosenthal ?
From Barter to Barclays
? Barclays Bank DCO: undated, c1967
- ^
Walker,
A History of Southern Africa
, Longmans: 1968
- ^
a
b
"1874 "Coarse and Fine Beard" Burgers pond"
.
South African coins, token coins & bank notes from van Riebeeck to 1932
. Retrieved
27 December
2010
.
- ^
"Collectors Inc ? Port Elizabeth ? Old Coins, UNC Sets, Proofsets, Gold Coins, Silver Coins"
. Archived from
the original
on 2 May 2017
. Retrieved
10 March
2017
.
- ^
"ZAR 1874 to 1902 | Catalogues"
. Archived from
the original
on 2 March 2015.
- ^
"The 1898 "Single 9" Pond: South Africa's rarest gold coin"
.
CoinWeek
. 2 October 2012
. Retrieved
26 November
2018
.
- ^
http://www.tokencoins.com/zar11.htm
The 1902 Veld Pond ? "Pilgrim's Rest Coin"
? Retrieved 2009-12-06
- ^
"5 Shillings ? George VI, South Africa"
.
en.numista.com
. Retrieved
28 June
2020
.
- ^
"Five Shillings, South Africa, 1960, Silver ? 533 -..."
Muntstuk International Coins
. Retrieved
1 July
2020
.
External links
[
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]