Blank Pond without Rim, circa 1900 - PCGS MS61

Blank Pond without Rim, circa 1900

PCGS MS61

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South Africa, Blank Pond without Rim, circa 1900 -

The blank ponds were manufactured in Pretoria some time around 1900 in the midst of the South African War (Second Boer War), and are in effect unfinished gold ponds. While historical records are sketchy, various sources state that the blanks were removed from the Pretoria mint by Paul Kruger’s forces prior to the imminent British invasion of Pretoria. They were subsequently used as currency by the government of the Republic to pay soldiers, farmers, and citizens with whom the government dealt. Some were exchanged for sovereigns. Today, they’re widely collected by both South African collectors and worldwide sovereign collectors, who view these blanks as sovereign proxies. (They are of identical weight and purity to the British sovereign.) The number trading the market is unknown, but they turn up for sale or auction only a few times every year. The example on offer above is the rimless version of the blank, with scraper adjustment marks in the fields. While not a beautiful coin, it is certainly one of historical significance.

Grades PCGS MS61.

Product ID: (c.1900)81784355

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