Nortje, Pierre
Author of works on South African numismatics.
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2020The Scarcity of the Coins of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
In a well-known and respected coin catalogue which has been published in South Africa for many years, the 1892 ZAR penny receives a higher catalogue value in the higher grades than both the pennies dated 1893 and 1894.
However, a totally different picture emerges when comparing the grading statistics / population reports.
More than twice the number of 1892 pennies has been graded than those of 1894 and five times more than those dated 1893. In uncirculated (mint state) condition the difference is even more significant with almost 4 times more MS pennies graded for 1892 than those of 1894 and more than 8 times more than the 1893 date. So, the question to be answered:
Why does the 1892 dated penny have a higher catalogue value, in both extremely fine and uncirculated conditions, than both the pennies of
1893 and 1894?
This is illogical and inconsistent and is the motivation for this book – an attempt to provide a rational and structured approach in the valuation of the coins of the ZAR in terms of their rarity.
2021The Menne Single Shaft Paul Kruger Half Pond of 1892
This story, a double tragedy, begins in 1935 when Mr William James (Bill) Menne, a well-known and respected farmer in the Northern Transvaal bushveld near Louis Trichardt, inherited his deceased father's coin collection.
At that stage he had no interest in numismatics but thinking that some of the coins might be valuable he kept the coins stored in a bank vault. In 1955 while reading an article in his newspaper about the scarcity of some coins, he remembered his coin collection and decided to look to see what he had stored away for safe keeping 20 years before. He subsequently wrote a letter to the Director of the South African Mint informing him about his father's collection.
One of the coins he mentioned, was dated 1892 with a "one shaft ox wagon" in the crest of the Transvaal Republic on the reverse of the coin. The Director responded and said that it was impossible as only a "double shaft" was possible for the issue of that date.
Bill Menne however was not mistaken and from that day on his father's famous Half Pond has always been referred to as the "Menne" Single Shaft Half Pond. Since then, vast numbers of ZAR Half Ponde have been eagerly examined by numismatists but another similar coin has never been found.
This is the story of the Menne Half Pond, a mysterious and unique South African gold coin.
2022The Rarest of the Rare: Unique and Very Rare Gold Coins of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
In a list recently published by Wikipedia of the world’s most expensive coins, the top twenty are, with the exception of three, all North American coins. The three exceptions are an Islamic medieval gold Dinar, an ancient Roman gold Aureus of Brutus, and a South African gold coin, the so-called “single 9” overstamped Paul Kruger Pond of 1898. As expected, all the coins in the top 20 list are extremely scarce with the South African example being unique. The value of the individual coins is estimated from US$4m up to nearly US$20m.
The “single 9” Kruger Pond, is however not the only unique or extremely rare South African coin dating from that era. The Z.A.R. coinage, although struck over a relatively short period, contains quite a few rarities and in some cases, coins that over the years have made international numismatic headlines.
2023The Mystery of the Missionaries' Money: The Griqua Coinage of the London Missionary Society
The Griqua coinage was introduced in South Africa by the London Missionary Society (LMS) in the first quarter of the 19th century at their mission station at Griquatown, situated in what is known today as the Northern Cape Province. The series consists of four denominations, a quarter and half pence struck in copper, and a five and ten pence in silver. Some numismatists refer to the coinage as “tokens” while others see them as “coins”.
As late as 1910, almost a hundred years after they were introduced in South Africa, Dr. J.W.B. Gunning, who was the Director of the Transvaal Museum from 1897 to 1913, wrote that “De geschiedenis dezer munten is min of meer in duister gehuld” (The history of these coins is to some extent shrouded in mystery) and ends his article with three questions.
In what year were they coined?
In what years were they in use?
What amount was circulated?
These questions, and more, still intrigue coin collectors and historians in the present day and have led to many a fierce numismatic debate.
