South Africa: Republic gold Threepence 1898,...

Description

The Magnificent Sammy Marks "Tickey"

Republic gold Threepence 1898, KM-PnA23, Hern-ZP5, MS64 NGC, reflective surfaces with Kruger's portrait subtly cameo'ed, the wreath and other reverse devices also in sharp relief against the pool-like reflective field, the beading on each side tack-sharp, the rims beyond the beading flat, squared off, and ending in knifelike sharpness, and the color of the coin a rich light gold. All in all, just a magnificent-looking gold tickey.

The curious 1898 ZAR threepence coins exist only in gold. No silver pieces were ever issued. The dies used for striking were identical to those used for the commercial series, KM3, only bearing the date 1898. On page 329 of his standard reference, Brian Hern explains that the existence of these wonderful-looking coins remains a mystery infused with rumor. The ZAR Mint Act allowed for the "Coining of gold for private persons," and somehow Pretoria entrepreneur and business genius Sammy Marks obtained use of the mint's dies for the threepence and struck off "at least 215 pieces" in gold. Hern affirms that Marks used genuine mint dies dated 1898. No one seems to know the source of the gold or how the gold blanks were made or by whom, but the dies are now in the S.A. Mint museum. Many of the coins struck were used in jewelry and have later been subject to attempts to repair them. All are "very rare" today, Hern concludes. It would be hard to imagine a finer, more nearly perfectly preserved example of this mysterious coin than the presently offered specimen.
From The Orange River Collection

Metal: Gold
Mintage: 215

More information about South African Coins. See also: South Africa World Coin Nationality.

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