1 Penny, Pattern, Orange Free State, 1888

One (1) penny coin, pattern Orange Free State, 1888 Obverse Image: Shield within wreath, banner below. Obverse Text: ORANJE VRYJSTAAT / GEDULD EN MOED / 1888 Reverse Image: Oak and laurel wreath. Reverse Text: 1 PENNY In 1890 a German firm called Otto Nolte & Co minted this penny pattern coin in Berlin. The firm designed this sample coin with the hope of selling coins like it for use in the Orange Free State (a part of what is now South Africa). The Orange Free State was a self-governing republic of descendants of Dutch and other European immigrants known as Boers (Afrikaners), who colonized African land during the 1600s to 1800s. This pattern coin depicts a version of the Orange Free State coat of arms. It features an orange tree representing the Dutch Royal Family (the House of Orange) and three bugle horns—another symbol of that dynasty. The text on the coin reads ORANJE VRYJSTAAT, a misspelling for the Afrikaans name for the Orange Free State and GEDULD EN MOED, which means patience and courage. The Orange Free State never minted these coins and instead relied on its own banknotes as well as British and Dutch currencies for transactions. Currently not on view