I recently added another rare, high-priority coin for my collection: an 1892 silver 5 shillings coin from the South Africa Republic. With an original mintage of only 14,000, these big crown-sized silver coins are scarce and pricey, so adding one to my collection feels like something of an accomplishment! SOUTH AFRICA REPUBLIC, 1852-1902 AR 5 Shillings (38.6mm, 28.17g, 12h) Dated 1892. Berlin mint, Germany Obverse: ZUID AFRIKAANSCHE REPUBLIEK, bust of President Johannes Paulus Kruger left Reverse: Arms of the South Africa Republic; 5 SHILLINGS * 1892 * above. References: Numista 29505 Mintage: 14,000 Toned. A scarce, low-mintage issue. * * * * * * * * * * * * Dutch settlement of South Africa began with the Cape Colony, which was founded on the southern tip of the African continent by the Dutch East India Company in 1652. It was originally intended to be a waystation for Company ships travelling to and from the East Indies, but eventually grew into a settler colony with a large population of Dutch immigrants. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Cape Colony was annexed by the British in order to prevent Napoleon from taking control of the vital trade routes to and from the East Indies. However, the descendants of the original Dutch settlers, called the Boers, soon became fed up with British control and moved inland in what later became known as the Great Trek, establishing their own state, the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (South Africa Republic), in 1852. Diamonds were discovered there in 1867 and gold in 1884, suddenly making the region of enormous economic importance. Conflict with Britain arose in the 1880s when Britain attempted to annex the ZAR as a British colony; the Boers resisted and were victorious. War again broke out in 1899 after the ZAR president Paul Kruger refused to grant political enfranchisement to the tens of thousands of British miners who worked in the Republic; this war was eventually won by the British in 1902, after which the South Africa Republic was formally dissolved and incorporated into the British Empire. While this coin doesn't have any flashy luster that can't be fully appreciated in a photograph, it's still fun (I think) to see the coins actually in hand, especially these big chunky silvers. Check out the video below: Thanks for taking a look! Feel free to post up your own Z.A.R. coins or anything else relevant.
