ref: 18112015

HISTORY IN YOUR HANDS - SCARCE "AFRICANA"

1892 - 1898

Z A R

  KRUGER Z A R

PONDE & HALF PONDE

ARE THESE PART OF THE KRUGER MILLIONS ?

30 GOLD COINS PER LOT

INCLUDED IN EACH LOT:

20 X MIXED DATES/GRADES OF PONDE

10 X MIXED DATES/GRADES OF HALF PONDE

ONLY 5 LOTS AVAILABLE

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A PRIZE FIND NOT OFTEN FOUND IN THE MARKETPLACE

AN EXTREMELY RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN THESE PRIZE PONDE  AND  HALF PONDE 

A SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION

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   OWN THESE SOUGHT AFTER 

COINS  IN YOUR NUMISMATIC COLLECTION TODAY

ALL COINS ARE GENUINE  AND AUTHENTIC - STRUCK BY THE  Z A R MINT

A TOTAL OF 30 GOLD COINS PER LOT 

ZAR PONDE (20) & HALF PONDE (10)

NOW FOR A 

REDUCED PRICE 

OPPORTUNITY OF ONLY

R 110 000per lot

!!! ONLY 5 LOTS ARE AVAILABLE !!!

OFFER BASED ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS

   Various grades average Fine as represented above in the image

POND: COMPOSITION: 22ct GOLD  MASS: 7.98gm   DIAMETER: 22.00mm

HALF POND COMPOSITION: 22ct GOLD  MASS: 3.99gm   DIAMETER: 19.40mm

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WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN PRETORIA - THE PLACE OF THE Z A R MINT IN 1900 ?  WHAT WERE PRESIDENT PAUL KRUGERS PLANS FOR MOVING THE GOLD RESERVES AT THE  Z A R MINT, WITH THE THREAT OF THE RAPIDLY APPROACHING BRITISH TROOPS ?

In answer - an extracted and translated account from the  South African  afrikaans author D. W. Krüger's book "DIE KRUGERMILJOENE"

The British army was on the march from the south toward Pretoria, and were nearing Johannesburg, where the Boer higher command could not manage to establish a steadfast front. On the 29th May 1900 it was decided that President Kruger and a small group of the important officials leave Pretoria, which they did that evening, with the officials having left the previous day. The State Attorney, General Smuts who was also the Auditor-General was left behind, in charge of proceedings, as it was imperative to delay the British troops, who had seized Johannesburg on the 31st May 1900, and to ensure that the ammunitions, money and gold reserves of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek would not fall into the hands of the enemy.

On the Friday 1st June 1900, the Boer military leaders made their appearance, Generals Botha, De la Rey, Ben Viljoen and others. After their meeting that evening they decided to telegraphically notify President Paul Kruger that the war should be ended. President Steyn of the Freestate however decided that they should continue the war against the British invasion, even if the Transvaal wanted to make peace. This decision by the Freestate gave the generals in the Transvaal new courage, and they decided by the 4th June 1900 to pursue the war against the British. With their main charge of protecting and removing the ammunitions as well as money and the gold reserves, it was realized that it was only a matter of hours before the British troops would arrive in Pretoria, and that they would have to delay them. It was General J C Smuts's task to ensure that the Boer forces delay the British without question.

Literally for days General Smuts tried to persuade the Director of the National Bank ( Die Staatsbank ) to hand over the money and gold reserves to the value of between £ 400 000 and £ 500 000, that belonged to the Republiek. When his pleas were unheaded, he issued a warrant of arrest, threatening legal prosecution. Eventually on the morning of the 4th June 1900, under the threat of prosecution, they agreed to hand the gold over. On a suggestion by General Botha, a further £ 25 000 that the bank was holding for necessary war provisions, was also removed. Once Smuts removed the gold reserves from the Staatsmunt, that was kept in the same building on Church Square in Pretoria, he put all the gold, under police presence, onto a special train. Midday, as the train was pulling out of the station heading east of Pretoria, the British bombs began exploding around the station as well as in the Sunnyside area. General J C Smuts acknowledged years later, in his reminiscing, that it was with great pride that he recalls the securing and removing of the  R1 million ( half-miljoen pond ) in gold and coins out from underneath the noses of the British, who had £ 200 million in the British Treasury to fund the war. 

The young bookkeeper of the Mint, Eduard Meyer, who was of Swiss birth, played an important role in the removal of the gold from the mint as well. On the Saturday of the 2^nd June 1900, just before the Mint was closing for the weekend, Meyer realized, to his surprise, that no preparations had been made for the removal of the gold and to get it to a place of safety before the British would arrive. When he asked the mintmaster Mr Perrin why no arrangement had been made, Perrins said that he had received no instructions, and that they would have to adapt themselves to the new regime. On Sunday they could hear the cannon fire of the British.  By the 4^th June 1900 there were skirmishes with the British at Sesmylspruit. The British takeover of Pretoria was eminent, when Meyer arrived at the Mint on the Monday morning around 7 am, as did Perrin and the mint employee P Callaghan. Usually the gold for minting would be handed out to the various departments. Perrins then instructed that the ovens be ignited and the gold weighed out as if it were just another day at the Mint. Just like on the Saturday Meyer did not want to argue the decision by Perrins the Mintmaster, so he waited until Perrin went home for breakfast, and then warned the smelter and the gold refiner not to place the gold for minting, but rather to wait for an instruction from General Smuts. Meyer felt that Perrin’s allegiance to the government was not questionable, but rather possibly, that he had accepted the mint would fall into the hands of the British.

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 GENERAL J C SMUTS 

 THE STATE ATTORNEY OF THE Z A R ( ZUID AFRIKAANSCHE MINT ) IN THE 1900's

LEFT IN CHARGE BY THE ZUID AFRIKAANSCHE REPUBLIEK'S PRESIDENT PAUL KRUGER TO ENSURE THE SAFE REMOVAL OF THE REPUBLIEKS GOLD RESERVES IN 1900, IN THE FACE OF THE BRITISH INVASION OF THE TRANSVAAL.

The State Attorney, who, incidentally, was in fact Field Marshal J. C. Smuts, the Auditor-General and the other officials took the coins and gold that Smuts had collected from the ZAR mint, to President Kruger at Middelburg.  The Members of the Volksraad and all highly placed officials realized what the position was then, and co-operated fully with the President.  It was decided by the Government that Kruger should take leave of absence, for about six months, as the days of the burghers’ possession of the railway line were clearly numbered and the chance of Kruger falling into the hands of the enemy could not be taken.  This would mean the remaining Z.A.R. forces would surrender and the Government’s coins and gold reserves, would be lost.  The latter danger was of course known to only the top officials, generals and Volksraad members.  Kruger sailed to Holland on the Gelderland on the 19th October, 1900. The British tried to encourage the view that he had deserted his post and many sources tried to imply that he had taken the coins and bullion, for his own benefit.

THE BOER FORCES UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ATTORNEY GENERAL J C SMUTS ENSURES THE REMOVAL OF THE KRUGER MILLIONS FROM PRETORIA AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE

MONDAY 4TH JUNE AT 12h00 THE TRAIN LEAVES PRETORIA WITH THE BRITISH FORCES LESS THAN 10 KILOMETERS AWAY, WITH BRITISH SHELLS LANDING  IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE TRAIN. BY THE FOLLLOWING MORNING PRETORIA WAS IN BRITISH HANDS AND THE KRUGER MILLIONS HAD BEEN REMOVED BY THE Z A R GOVERNMENT IN THE NICK OF TIME.