RARE 1898 PAUL KRUGER ZAR BRONZE ONE PENNY (ONLY 262 830 MINTED) IN VERY GOOD CONDITION

ON AUCTION IS A VERY RARE 1898 PAUL KRUGER ZAR (ZUID AFRIKAANSE REPUBLIEK OR OLD TRANSVAAL) BRONZE ONE PENNY. PENNIES WERE MINTED FOR 4 YEARS ONLY WITH RELATIVE LOW MINTAGES. IT IS A RARE COIN WITH A NUMISTA RARITY INDEX OF ONLY 13!
 
The obverse of this coin features a portrait of Paul Kruger, the president of the South African Republic (also known as the ZAR or Transvaal) from 1882 to 1900. Reverse Image: ZUID AFRIK. REPUBLIEK (abbreviated for Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) with modified coat of arms (NO OS INITIALS ON COIN AND OX WAGON BACK WHEELS LARGER THAN FRONT WHEELS).
 
IN 1891, WITH THE ELECTION COMING UP AND WITH PRESIDENT KRUGER FACING STRONG OPPOSITION, HE WAS ANXIOUS TO BRING THE REPUBLICS NEW COINS INTO CIRCULATION. THE NEW MINT WAS NOT YET OPERATING SO THE PRESIDENT PLACED AN ORDER FOR COINS DATED 1892 WITH THE KAISERMUNT IN BERLIN. THE FIRST CONSIGNMENT OF POUNDS, HALF POUNDS AND CROWNS ARRIVED WITH TWO SHAFTS ON THE WAGON AND SIMILAR SIZE FRONT AND REAR WHEELS IN THE COAT OF ARMS. (THE TRADITIONAL VOORTREKKER WAGON HAD A SINGLE SHAFT AND REAR WHEELS LARGER THAN THE FRONT WHEELS.) TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY THE DESIGNER, OTTO SCHULTZ, HAD FOLLOWED CUSTOM AND PLACED HIS INITIALS OS BELOW KRUGERS BUST WHICH IS AFRIKAANS FOR OX. THIS MISTAKE ALMOST COST KRUGER THE ELECTION. SUBSEQUENTLY, NEW COINS WITH THE APPROPRIATE CORRECTION WERE BROUGHT INTO CIRCULATION.
 
SIZE: 30.8MM DIAMETER WEIGHT 9.4G
COMPOSITION BRONZE (95.5% CU 3% SN 1.5% ZN)
ISSUED: 1892-1898
Pennies were minted for four years only (1892 Mintage 27862; 1893 Mintage 54781; 1894 Mintage 10769 and 1898 Mintage 262830.) Unlike most other denominations which were minted every year from 1892-1898.
BASE CURRENCY ZAR POND (1874-1902)
The Burgers Pond was issued during 1874 bearing, the portrait of Thomas Francois Burger, South Africa's rst president. After the discovery of gold, South Africa built a mint in Pretoria and began issuing coins depicting Paul Kruger. These coins, issued between 1892 and 1902, were based on the British pound sterling.
ENGRAVER: OTTO SCHULTZ
MINT: ZAR Mint in Pretoria
NUMISTA RARITY INDEX (FROM 1 TO 100): 13
 
CONDITION: ONLY ONE DARK SPOT ABOVE K OF AFRIK. DETAILS STILL IN VERY GOOD CONDITIUON. A VERY FINE QUALITY COIN!
 
PAUL KRUGER (1825-1904):
Paul Kruger (Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger) was born on 10 October 1825 at his grandfather's farm, Bulhoek in the Steynsburg district (Eastern Cape). He wasn't a well educated man and only had three months formal education. When the Great Trek started in 1836, Kruger's father, Casper Kruger, joined the trek party of Hendrik Potgieter and the family moved to what later became known as Transvaal.
Paul Kruger's father decided to settle in an area now known as Rustenburg. At age 16, Paul Kruger was entitled to choose a farm for himself. He chose a farm at the base of the Magaliesberg Mountains and settled there in 1841. In 1842 he married Maria du Plessis and the couple moved to the Eastern Transvaal. Kruger's wife and infant son died soon after from Malaria. He then married Gezina du Plessis, who bore him seven daughters and nine sons.
Later on Paul Kruger's strong leadership qualities started emerging and he became Commandant-General of the then Transvaal Republic. Later he was appointed member of the Volksraad the Transvaal Republican Parliament who were tasked with drawing up a constitution. In 1874 he became Vice-President. In 1877, Britain had moved to annex the Transvaal Republic, bringing it under its control, and this eventually led to what is known as the First Boer War in 1880 in which the British forces were soon defeated in a battle at Majuba (Natal) in 1881.
In 1882, the 57 year old Paul Kruger was elected president of Transvaal. The discovery of gold in the Transvaal in 1885, changed the political climate of the Witwatersrand with Britain looking with renewed interest towards the ZAR.
Kruger's leadership was put to the test at the end of 1895, when the Jameson Raid took place. This started the breakdown of relations between the British and the Boers which ultimately led to the second Anglo Boer War. Kruger was elected as president four times, his last re-election was in 1898.
The second Anglo-Boer War, also known as the South African war, started on October 11, 1899. Paul Kruger attended the last session of the Volksraad and on 29 May 1900 fled from Pretoria as Lord Roberts advanced on the town. He remained underground for weeks and eventually in October 1900 he left from Lourenco Marques when Dutch Queen Wilhelmina sent the battleship, De Gelderland, to transport him. His wife Gezina Kruger was very ill when the party left and could not accompany him. She died on 20 July 1901.
He travelled through Europe to Holland where he stayed for remainder of the war. Paul Kruger later on moved to Clarens in Switzerland where he stayed for the last six months of his life and died on 14 July 1904. He was buried on 16 December 1904, in the Church Street cemetery, Pretoria.
 
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