World Coins

South Africa, Schalk Burger, Veld Pond, 1902, 8.65g/12h (Hern Z54; KM. 11; F 4). Some surface marks and scratches, otherwise about extremely fine £10,000-12,000

986 struck by hand at the Transvaal Gold Mining Estates dormant workshop at Pilgrim’s Rest, using improvised equipment, including a wing-nut press. The issue was produced on the recommendation of General Christian Muller, the assistant-commandant-general, and authorised by Schalk Burger, acting president of the Republic after Paul Kruger left the country on 19 October 1900. The dies were executed by the acting mint master, P.J. Kloppers, former head teacher at the De Kaap Government School.

For study purposes, this lot is offered with three gold forgeries of the Veld Pond, the so-called ‘long A variety’, ‘A crossbar type’ and ‘missing Z stroke variety’, so-called after the main differences in obverse design (Levine F31, F33, F35). These are illustrated only online.