1897, South African Republic (ZAR). Nice Gold ½ Pond (½ Soverign) Coin. 3.97gm!
Mint Year: 1897 Mintage: 311,000 pcs. Denomination: ½ Pond Reference: Friedberg 3, KM-9.2 Material: Gold (.916) - 0.1176 oz. AGW Diameter: 19mm Weight: 3.97gm
Obverse: Bearded bust of Paul Kruger as President of the South African Republic left. Legend: ZUID AFRIK. REPUBLIEK Reverse: Eagle perched on round coat-of-arms within foliagee, six flags in background, inscribed banner and rose below. Banner Inscription: EENDRAGT MAAKT MAAKT ("Unity makes strength!") Legend: ½ POND * 1897 *
On 17 January 1852 the United Kingdom, ruler of the Cape Colony, approved the independence of the South African Republic in the Sand River Convention. “Eendragt maakt magt” was the motto on the new state’s shield and in 1888 it decided it should only use Dutch as its official language.
The South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, or ZAR), often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African province of Transvaal. The ZAR was established in 1852, and was independent from 1856 to 1877, then again from 1881 to 1900 after the First Boer War, in which the Boers regained their independence from the British Empire.
In 1900 the ZAR was annexed by the United Kingdom during the Second Boer War although the official surrender of the territory only took place at the end of the war, on 31 May 1902. In 1910 it became the Transvaal Province of the Union of South Africa.
The first president of the South African Republic was Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, elected in 1857, son of the famous Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, who commanded the Boers to Victory at the Battle of Blood River.
The capital was established at Pretoria (founded 1855), though for a brief period Potchefstroom served as the seat of government. The parliament, the Volksraad, had 24 members.