SOUTH AFRICAN (BOER) REPUBLIC (TRANSVAAL) (1856-1877 / 1881-1900)
GOLD ONE POUND COIN (EEN POND) BLANK (KAAL)
BLANK POUND (KAALPOND) WITH RIM AND SCRAPER MARKS (ALSO CALLED A MACHADODORP BLANK)
RARE CERTIFIED BY NGC "KAALPOND" WITH RIM MINT CONDITION
IN 1891, THE ZAR ESTABLISHED ITS OWN BANK, AND LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ZAR COINAGE BASED ON THE BRITISH MODEL, HENCE THE STANDARDIZED BOER GOLD POND OR POUND. THE VELDEPONDE, OR HAND-MADE DIE HAND-STRUCK "FIELDPOUNDS", AND THE KAALPONDE "NAKED" OR "BLANK" POUNDS WERE NECESSITY MONEY USED IN LIUE OF NEEDED CURRENCY IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY DURING THE SECOND BOER WAR.
IN THE SECOND BOER WAR (1899-1902), THE BRITISH COMMANDER, FIELD MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS, TOOK THE ZAR CAPITAL OF PRETORIA. AS THE BRITISH ADVANCED ON THE CAPITAL, THE BOER STATE ATTORNEY TOOK ALL THE MINTED COINS AND UN-MINTED BLANKS, ESPECIALLY PRECIOUS METAL ONES, BY RAIL TO PRESIDENT PAUL KRUGER, WHO WAS WAITING AT MIDDLEBURG.
THE SILVER AND GOLD BLANKS WERE THEN REMOVED FROM MIDDLEBURG AS THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUED TO FLEE THE BRITISH TO THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL. AN EMERGENCY MINT WAS SET UP AT PILGRIM'S REST, AND MINTED THE VELDEPONDE THERE UNTIL 1902. THE KAALPONDE (NAKED BLANKS) WERE ISSUED FROM RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WHICH TRAVELLED BEARING THE TRANSVAAL VOLKSRAAD, OR GOVERNMENT.
ACCORDING TO THE TESTIMONY OF P.J. KLOPPERS, ZAR MINT MASTER, THIS TYPE OF COIN WITH RIM AND SCRAPER MARKS WAS ISSUED DURING THE GOVERNMENT'S TIME IN EXILE WHILE PASSING THROUGH THE TOWN OF MACHADODORP. THERE IS ANOTHER TYPE WITHOUT RIM, ISSUED AFTER PASSING LYDENBURG, AND HENCE ARE CALLED LYDENBURG KAALPONDE.
SCRAPER MARKS WERE MADE BY MINT EMPLOYEES PREPARING THE BLANKS FOR STAMPING TO ENSURE PROPER WEIGHT, AND SCAPING OFF EXCESS METAL. NOT ALL BLANKS BEAR THEM.
THE BLANKS HAD BEEN ISSUED BY THE "GOVERNMENT ON WHEELS" AND PASSED INTO CIRCULATION BECAUSE OF THE COIN SHORTAGE AND TO ASSIST IN THE PAYMENT OF TROOPS. SOME OTHER BLANKS WERE TRADED FOR KRUGERPONDE, AND BRITISH GOLD SOVEREIGNS, WITH LOYAL BOER CITIZENS THAT WERE MET ALONG THE WAY TO EASTERN TRANSVAAL.
CONTAINS 7.988 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD (.2352 OZ AGW)
21.65 MM IN DIAMETER
