South Africa, Paul Kruger, Blank Pond, the so-called ‘Lydenburg’ type without rim, 8.01g (Hern Z55; Levine p.68, item A). Very fine (£150-200)

These coins would normally have been struck into Kruger ponds. However, on 4 June 1900, in the face of advancing British troops under Lord Roberts, the State Attorney collected all minted Kruger coins and unminted gold, including these blanks, and took them by rail to President Kruger at Middelburg. The gold blanks were not issued as currency until Kruger’s ‘Volksraad on wheels’ had passed through Machadodorp, en route to Hectorspruit; some of them were used to pay the troops