*#* Scarcity of the Coins of the ZAR Book Pierre Nortje *#*

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 ABOUT THE BOOK
Previously, the compilers of coin catalogues did not have the luxury of extensive information supplied by these grading companies, such as the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation ( N G C ) and ( P C G S ) and the value of coins were based on mainly three sources, being:-
1. The number of coins minted - the less struck the more valuable.
2. The experience (or rather perception) of collectors and especially dealers (who were in most cases the catalogue compilers) regarding their scarcity and selling price.
3. References to previous coin catalogues.

It becomes apparent from a scientific research perspective, ruling out any dealership or ownership biases that, comparing the grading statistics against the various coin population reports of the different types of Z A R coinage, supplied by grading companies, allows a potentially clearer understanding of rarity and value.

EXTRACT FROM THE INTRODUCTION:
A COLLECTOR IS BORN
I have been a coin collector since my school days in the 1970's and since then I have been periodically collecting coins of both the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek and those of the Union of South Africa.
In 1973, as a schoolboy of 13, my father took me to City Coins in Cape Town where he bought me my first coin catalogue, the Bickels Numistat  with the revised prices for 1973/4. A collector was born.
I sometimes page through this dilapidated catalogue, the pages now almost falling apart, and notice how I used to tick off the coins that I added to my collection during that period.

My meagre pocket money precluded the more expensive Z A R items from the collection. The gold coins and the 5 Shilling pieces were obviously out of my reach. I could only dream of earning enough to be able to purchase at least some of these enigmatic pieces, one day.

THE RIGHT OF PIERRE H. NORTJE TO BE IDENTIFIED AS THE AUTHOR OF THE WORK HAS BEEN ASSERTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COPYRIGHT ACT 98 OF 1978