One (1) pond coin
South African Republic, 1897
Obverse Image: Bust of Paul Kruger facing left.
Obverse Text: ZUID AFRIKAANSCHE REPUBLIEK
Reverse Image: Coat of arms of the South African Republic.
Reverse Text: 1 POND / 1897 / EENDRAGT MAAKT MAGT
This coin features a portrait of Paul Kruger, the president of the South African Republic (also known as the ZAR or Transvaal) from 1883 to 1900. Kruger descended from a group of European (primarily Dutch) immigrants known as Boers (Afrikaners), who colonized the Cape of Good Hope and surrounding areas beginning in the 1600s. To escape British rule, they moved eastward into South Africa to establish a self-governing South African Republic. Kruger rose to global prominence for his leadership in resisting British intrusion into the Transvaal and, ultimately, fighting the British in the South African War (1899–1902). Shortly after the British won the war, the South African Republic was renamed the Transvaal Province and was joined with other British colonies in the region under the Union of South Africa. This coin was produced during Kruger’s presidency, shortly before the war.
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