Lot 7344

1 Pond 1900 proof struck in silver with smooth edge - Obv: Bust Kruger left / Rev: National arms - 4.79 gr. - Very rare, probably struck after 1900\nBack in the 1980s just after the privatizing of the ‘Waarborg’ in Utrecht (an institution in the Netherlands responsible for official hallmarks and the official watchdog over gold and silver content in all objects, coins etc.), the former general manager sold an original die of the famous Paul Kruger 1 pond 1900. This original die was sold at a coin show in the Netherlands to an English dealer and he sold the die to someone or some institution in South Africa. Not long ago the former Waarborg-official died and his wife sold all his coins and equipment. In the estate were two pieces of unknown proof silver ponds from the year 1900. \nIn the 1970´s a Mr. van Niekerk unlawfully obtained a set of dies from his son in law who worked at the South African Mint. He was known to produce forgery gold coins in Italy. These coins are of suberb quality and show a sharp full breast of feathers on the eagle. It is possible that Van Niekerk also produced these silver proof specimens from reworked dies and that they ended up at the Waarborg together with these dies. \nThe Brian Hern´s handbook on South African coins and patterns and the SCWC do not mention any silver proofs of the pond 1900.