One (1) pond coin South African Republic, 1902 Obverse Image: Monogram. Obverse Text: ZAR / 1902 Reverse Image: N/A Reverse Text: EEN POND The South African War (also known as the Second Boer War) between the British and the ancestors of European immigrants (Boers) living in the South African Republic, took place from 1899 to 1902. Toward the end of the war, the remaining fighters for the South African Republic fled into the countryside to a place called Pilgrim’s Rest. They melted down gold bars and gold nuggets and minted their own coins to assert their independence from the British. The fighters used old farm machinery and accessible chemicals to melt the gold down and make it pliable enough to shape into coins. Their hand-chiseled dies produced 968 coins, which are often referred to as “veldpond” because they were made in the South African veld (the Afrikaans word for field) and their denomination is one pond. Currently not on view
- Collection
- Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection Josiah K. Lilly Jr. Collection South African Currency
- Dates
- 1902
- Format
- Gold (overall material)
- Place Discussed
- South Africa: South African Republic South Africa: Mpumalanga, Pilgrim's Rest
- Provider
- Smithsonian Institution
- Published in
- South Africa
- Rights
- Estate of Josiah K. Lilly
- Source
- Digital Public Library of America https://dp.la/item/49958c6602c2698547738c4313c0f4b3