South African coins online catalog and price guide

Coins of Transvaal (1856-1899)

In 1835, the so-called Great Trek began - the migration of the Boers from the Dutch Cape Colony to the central regions of South Africa, in an effort to escape from the rule of the Dutch East India Company.

Having great superiority in arms and military training, the Boers defeated local tribes without much difficulty and moved further into the interior of the continent. One of such groups under the command of Andries Hendrik Potgieter in 1837 attacked the village of Mosega and knocked out the Ndebele tribe. Potgieter issued a proclamation in which he spoke of creating a new state of migrant farmers. After this, many Boers began moving to a country called the Transvaal.

On January 17, 1852, Britain, at Potgieter's request, signed a treaty that recognized the independence of about 5,000 Boer families in the Transvaal region.

In 1856, the Transvaal began to take shape as a real state: a special assembly created a constitution for the country, the official name of the Republic of South Africa was chosen, and the Folksraad legislative body was established. Martinus Pretorius, who became the leader of the Transvaalians after Potgieter's death, tried with the help of the army (commanded by Paul Kruger) to unite the Transvaal with the neighboring state of the Boers - the Orange Republic. The conquest failed.

At about the same time, a village appeared in the Transvaal, which became the capital of the state. The town was named Pretorius in honor of the elder Pretorius. Pretorius managed to win the presidential election in the Orange Free State while remaining president of South Africa. Many citizens thought this was illegal and tried to get Pretorius to give up one of the presidential positions.

In 1877, Great Britain announced the annexation of the Republic of South Africa. However, the Boers rebelled three years later, and in 1880 the Transvaal regained independence.
The Boers, having concluded a peace treaty, received full internal self-government, but at the same time agreed to the suzerainty of Great Britain. However, the British still could not allow the territories, where there was active gold mining, to remain outside their direct control.

On October 11, 1899, the second Anglo-Boer War began. A few months later the Boers were defeated, and after two years of guerrilla warfare signed the surrender. The Transvaal ceased to exist as an independent state and became part of the British Empire.

 

Transvaal coins

 

 

Coins of British South Africa (1910-1961)

British South Africa

 

 

Coins of South African Republic (since 1961)

1961-1989

 

 

since 1990

 

 

Commemorative coins

 

 

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