1 Burgers Pond, South African Republic, 1874
date: label: date made
content: 1874
label: associated date
content: 1874
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: One (1) pond coin
label: Description (Brief)
content: South African Republic, 1874
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Image: Portrait of Thomas François Burgers facing left.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Text: THOMAS FRANÇOIS BURGERS / 1874
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Image: Coat of arms of the South African Republic.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Text: ZUID AFRIKAANSCHE REPUBLIEK / EENDRAGT MAKKT MAGT
label: Description
content: South Africa is famous for its gold deposits. Before the unearthing of the major gold reefs in Witwatersrand starting in 1884, Boer settlers found small quantities of gold in the Transvaal area. In the 1870s, the president of the South African Republic (Transvaal), Thomas Burgers, sent some gold nuggets to England to have a small number of coins minted for the South African Republic. These gold coins feature Burgers’s portrait and are often referred to as “Staatsponden,” “Burgersponds,” or “Burgers sovereigns.” Burgers was widely criticized by members of his community for placing his own image on the coins, which was seen by some as vain and dictatorial. The coins were not widely used.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place used
content: South Africa: South African Republic
label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, Birmingham, Birmingham
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: Josiah K. Lilly Jr. Collection
label: See more items in
content: South African Currency
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Estate of Josiah K. Lilly
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.68.159.5816
label: accession number
content: 283645
label: catalog number
content: 68.159.5816
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: gold (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .14 cm x 2.24 cm; 1/16 in x 7/8 in