Under the distinguished patronage of Alderman Geordin Hill-Lewis, Mayor of the City of Cape Town
Western Cape Numismatic Society Announcements
The 2026 Annual General Meeting was held on 21 February 2026. The event was fully booked, with a few surprises. See the meeting summary and photos here.
The poll result etc here
Membership
Membership of the society is open to all, and enquiries can be made through our Contact Us channel.
Collectors corner:
Collecting Ancient Coins - Ancient coins hold a special place in numismatics. Minted thousands of years ago, these coins are highly prized by collectors worldwide today for their historical importance and beauty. A large supply makes many ancients surprisingly affordable today.
Read More...
Seven Short Questions to a Fellow Collector:
We sent seven questions to the newly elected WCNS Vice President, Gary Willicott, and asked him to share his numismatic interests, knowledge, and tips. Below are Gary's answers:
Question 1: Tell us about yourself.
My name is Gary Willicott, I’m from the United Kingdom originally. I moved to South Africa in 2006, where I met my wife, who is Afrikaans. Married in 2007, we now have 3 kids, a daughter that we adopted (22) and 2 boys (14 and 16). We stay in Cape Town. I am currently serving as the acting Vice-President of the Western Cape Numismatic Society.
Question 2: How and when did you become interested in collecting?
Around 4 years ago, we inherited a jar of second decimal 1 cent coins. At that stage, I knew nothing about old coins or their values. I jumped on Google and found out about the 1965 Afrikaans 1 cent and its potential value. After hunting through that jar and thinking I had found it several times, only to realise I had mistaken worn 196(6) for a 196(5), the treasure hunt was on!
Question 3: What did you collect in the beginning?
Latest Articles
In 1887, the firm Otto Nolte & Co. of Berlin offered to supply the Free State government with silver and copper coins. Sketches of the proposed patterns were enclosed, and the company said that they were prepared to make alterations.
Nineteen months later, the Volksraad had still not responded to Otto Nolte & Co., whereupon the company forwarded six patterns to the President, informing him, "We hope that these models will meet with your approval, and while we again point to the important advantage which your government would derive from its own coinage through ordering, we flatter ourselves with the hope of receiving a favourable reply soon". However, the Volksraad decided against it. Read the full article here.
By January 1900, trading currency had become scarce in Mafiking; people had buried good coin, and no more was available from the bank, so Baden Powell, with the help of R. Urry of the Standard Bank, arranged for notes of the value of 1/- and 2/- to be printed. These were issued in January and February, printed by Messrs. Townsend and supervised by Capt. H. Greener, Chief Paymaster to the Garrison, whose signature is on the notes. A 3/- note was issued in March only. These notes were printed in blue printing ink on the reverse side of ruled Croxley writing paper, on which was used the blind embossed Bechuanaland Protectorate stamp.
Our previous article on the Mafeking siege focused on the banknotes that were printed during the period. In Part 2, we will look at other collectables associated with the siege, including military medals, stamps, commemorative medals, trench art and more.
The war sparked quite an industry in the various siege towns. One of the first to start manufacturing souvenirs was a person called Joseph Gerrans, who had workshops in Mafeking. His antics led to tragedy when a 6-inch Creusot shell exploded while he was working on it to remove the fuse, and a passerby was killed. Read the article here.
Library and archive news:
We have recently received a trove of documents sourced by Thomas van der Spuy in the Berlin archive relating to the minting of the first ZAR coinage. With his permission, these were loaded into the WCNS archives for anyone to access. Most of it is in German, but it can easily be transcribed. Please note, these are large files - 833 Mb and 344 Mb respectively in PDF format. Navigate to the Library, Categories, ZAR Coinage, General, WCNS.42 & 43, The Berlin Files
Footnote:
On a personal note:
With this, my final website and newsletter update, I would like to thank the WCNS members and readers, and in particular Pierre H. Nortje, for his critique and support, without which this journey would not have been nearly as interesting and enjoyable.
And now I say: happy hunting and goodbye. Derick Rabe.
Collectors Corner
Collecting South African Numismatic Postcards
The initial postcard was produced in 1870 and rapidly became popular as an inexpensive and fast way to communicate. This, coupled with a passion for collecting, ignited the peak of postcard mailing from the early 1900s until the First World War. Postcards have mainly become associated with vacations and are gradually being overshadowed by modern digital communication methods.
In the early 1900s, a German businessman named Hugo Semmler issued a series of postcards that show embossed images of then-current circulating base metal, silver and gold coins of the world, with a handy exchange-rate chart showing comparable values for common currencies. These were produced in German, French and English. The postcards were distributed in South Africa by a local Johannesburg company named Braune & Levy. Postcards showing pre-Reserve Bank banknotes of South Africa were also distributed by this firm. Follow the link to discover more about this collecting field.
Friends of the WCNS
Recent articles published by WCNS
Reader's Comments
-
The Tickey – a legendary South African Coin: Great sleuthing - really enjoyed reading this. The word is much older than I had imagined - Mary
-
Victorian-era Patterns of South Africa: These pieces have earned their respective place in South Africa history irrespective of perceptions. Lovely article -Morgan Carroll
-
In Search of Napoleonic Treasure in the Karoo: Excellent article - Jan Rousseau
-
Woman on South African Coins: Interesting, well worth a read - chrisnaH
-
Silver Rarities of the Union of South Africa: Nice easy read very interesting - Mark Kaufman
Feature Article
It would seem that there is utter confusion in coin catalogues regarding exactly which Rhodesian coins were struck in proof condition. This is truly a mystery, as virtually all coin catalogues agree on the proof coins (and their numbers) of South African issues struck since 1923. This is not the case with Rhodesian coins, which were struck at the Royal Mint in London from 1932 and from 1964 at the South African Mint in Pretoria.
The author's research sheds more light on the subject and seems to have made a prickly discovery that is sure to raise a few eyebrows within the South African numismatic fraternity.
Well-known numismatist and author, Prof Francois Malan, made the following remarks in one of his publications:
-
What coins did the Voortrekkers take with them when they set off North with their wagons in the 1830’s?
-
Almost no numismatic literature is available on the monetary aspects of the Great Trek and the coins taken along by the Voortrekkers.
-
This area requires research, as so little is known about the money used by the Voortrekkers during the first few years after the Trek.
Author Pierre H. Nortje took up the challenge and did some splendid research on this topic.
Seven Short Questions to a Fellow Collector
In this popular column, we send seven questions to random collectors and ask them to share their numismatic interests, knowledge, and tips.
For this instalment, we sent our questions to WCNS acting President Jonathan Odes, a keen collector and hobbyist who, like most collectors, also keeps an eye on his budget.
Below are the questions with Jonathan's answers:
Question 1: Tell us about yourself
My name is Jonathan Odes. I am single. I grew up in Milnerton in Cape Town and moved to Sea Point in standard 9 (grade 11) where I have lived ever since, except for an 8 year period in the mid/late 2000’s when I moved to Johannesburg for work.
Question 2: How and when did you become interested in collecting?
Collecting is in my genes, as my mother was always collecting things, and I have definitely inherited it from her.
My numismatic collecting started while I was in Jhb. I was walking past a coin shop and noticed some banknotes and coins in the window, so I walked in. I was fascinated that a purple R5 note could be selling for R5000. The guy in the shop explained Unc and replacement notes, and no security thread, etc. After that, I was hooked. I went home and searched for SA banknotes on the web, and bought some that day.
South African Rail Transport Coins, Tokens & Medallions
The construction of the first railway line in South Africa began in 1858 and connected Cape Town to Wellington.
Shortly thereafter, in 1860, the Natal Railway Company established a passenger and freight service connecting Durban to Harbour Point. This expanded with a line between Cape Town and Bloemfontein in 1890, and the Transvaal connecting to both Lourenço Marques and Bloemfontein by means of railway lines soon after.
This short paper rediscovers the 168-year journey of South African railways through the coins, tokens and medallions issued.
Political faux pas on banknotes
In November 1998, the Mauritian Rs1000 banknote design was changed, but was withdrawn less than a year later due to political incorrectness. The order of the three languages printed on the obverse of all the Mauritian notes was English, followed by Tamil and then Hindi. On the new notes, the latter two languages were reversed.
Politically incorrect note
Corrected note
The Tamil people found this unacceptable, and the notes were replaced with the correct design. Click the notes to zoom.
Western Cape Numismatic Society Announcements
The 2026 Annual General Meeting was held on 21 February 2026. The event was fully booked and feedback will be given about some exciting new ideas and the election of the committee for 2026. A handy link to the agenda discussed by members can be found here.
Membership
Membership of the society is open to all and enquiries can be made through our Contact Us channel.
WCNS Archives
Our comprehensive library consists of SA Numismatic Publications and Government Gazette sections, 1870 - current in Pdf formats, with an added Category Section as a research finding aid. Follow the Library link in the Site Menu bar.
Featured Library Item:
By: Cdr Anthony-Glenn von Zeil
A concise publication on the background of the Defence of O’Kiep Medal, including a detailed chronology, a map of O’Kiep, with an extensive list of resources by this renowned author and historical researcher.
A further handy companion, Roll of the Apparent Recipients of the Cape Copper Company's Medal by the late medal expert, Don Forsythe, has also been uploaded.
Did you know?
-
The Western Cape is the only one of the nine provinces to confer its own honours. Established by the provincial legislature in May 1999, the awards are the Western Cape Golden Cross and Order of the Disa (3 classes).
Photo: Russell Kaplan Auctioneers
-
Approximately 1.5 million ½c coins were minted in 1969 using 1964 dies in an attempt to alleviate the shortage of these coins following the introduction of the second decimal series in 1965
Source: History of the Nickel Coins of South Africa
-
On 20th September, 1941, the S.A. Mint received an order from the Free French Government for five million brass coins. No matrices or master punches were available and so the modelling of plaster models had to be undertaken locally. Mr Coert L. Steynberg was selected for this work. Below are photographic reproductions of the plaster models depicting the obverse and reverse designs of the coin in question. These two models are the first of their kind to be modelled in South Africa for coining purposes and consequently, they fall under the classification of “ highest rarity.”
Source: Institute of Certificated Engineers
A Focus on African Imitation Money
At a SANS meeting held in January 1966, one of the members displayed three imitation coins that surprised everyone. They were clearly not intended to be forgeries, but their purpose and origin were unknown. It was even suggested that the coins might have been made on Robben Island.
Pictures of the imitations, described as African Native Money, were later published in two Barclays Bank booklets and are shown below. (Click on the pic to zoom).
The first and second sets, which were published in two different booklets, are engraved differently and not the same sets of imitation coins, but were clearly copied from the same genuine coins.
A suggestion was also put forward that it is the same set of imitation coins, but engraved on both sides. We cannot know for sure, as we only have these photos as a record.
As to which type of coins were copied? We have added two images of the "young head" Queen Victoria coins issued by Britain from 1839 onwards as a suggestion.
Any additional info on these pieces will be welcomed by using the Contact Us channel.
Transvaal Erekruis 1876
South Africa's first Military Award for Valour.
It is common knowledge that the Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the British decorations system. It has been awarded since 1856 for valour to members of the British Armed Forces.
What is not common knowledge (actually for all practical purposes unknown to military historians over the past almost 150 years) is the fact that the Volksraad of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republic instituted a similar military Cross for Valour almost a quarter of a century before the outbreak of the Second Boer War.
A new booklet reveals the fascinating story of the Transvaal Erekruis, based on information the author, Pierre H. Nortje, sourced from old documents kept at the National Archives in Pretoria.
The publication of this booklet was made possible by a donation from the Western Cape Numismatic Society, to which all funds from the sale thereof will be donated back to the Society.
2026 Annual General Meeting
of the Western Cape Numismatic Society held in Durbanville on 21 February 2026
The Annual General Meeting of 2026 will go down in our society's history as one of the best gatherings that many of us interested in numismatics have ever experienced. Who would have believed that, when our society was established during the COVID-19 pandemic, within five years we would witness such phenomenal growth, and that the Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Geordin Hill-Lewis, would accept our invitation to become our esteemed patron?
The meeting was held in Durbanville, with 50 guests attending. Our President, Jonathan Odes, opened the proceedings by welcoming everyone and paying tribute to our late President, Waldo Human. We were very happy that his wife, Rolene, could also be in attendance.
Honorary Life Memberships were then bestowed on Brian Hern, the author of various catalogues on the coins, tokens, and medallions of South Africa, and posthumously on Natalie Jaffe, who, among her many contributions to numismatics, was the President of the South African Numismatic Society (our forerunner) from 1996 to 2010.
Certificate of Honorary Life Membership
Presented to Brian Hearn
In grateful recognition of a lifetime devoted to the advancement of South African numismatics.
Through his scholarship, publications, guidance, and unwavering commitment to excellence, he has enriched our understanding of South Africa's coinage and inspired generations of collectors and researchers.
The Western Cape Numismatic Society proudly acknowledges his enduring legacy and confers upon him Honorary Life Membership as a mark of our highest respect and appreciation.
With admiration and gratitude
Posthumous Honorary Life Membership
The Western Cape Numismatic Society honours the memory of
Natalie Jaffe
For her extraordinary stewardship of City Coins and her lifelong dedication to the advancement and integrity of South African numismatics.
Through resilience, professionalism, and unwavering commitment, she strengthened the organised numismatic trade and enriched generations of collectors.
Her legacy endures as a lasting pillar of our numismatic community.
With admiration and gratitude
The new committee for 2026 was then announced: Jonathan Odes as President, Gary Willicott as Vice-President, Thomas van der Spuy as Liaison Officer, Derick Rabe as our Webmaster, and Pierre Nortje as Secretary. Pierre was awarded the Walter Bergman Floating Trophy for Numismatic Endeavour. The President's ceremonial hammer (gavel) was then presented to Jonathan Odes by our Patron, the Mayor of Cape Town, who gave a short speech touching on the importance of every generation being the caretakers of the past.
L-R: Thomas van der Spuy, Gary Willicott, Jonathan Odes, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, Roline Human, Piere H. Nortje, Derick Rabe
Jonathan Odes receiving the ceremonial President's Hammer from Mayor Hill-Lewis
Pierre Nortje receiving the Walter Bergman floating trophy for Numismatic Endeavour. A well-deserved recipient.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis was awarded the WCNS Silver Medal, the first time this medal has been presented, in celebration of his acceptance of the ceremonial role as Patron of the Western Cape Numismatic Society.
A surprised and happy mayor receiving his silver medal from WCNS President Jonathan Odes.
Thomas van der Spuy delivered an insightful presentation on his recent research visit to Berlin, undertaken with a group of South African numismatists during the World Money Fair. The delegation conducted focused research at the Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet) at the Bode Museum, where Thomas managed to sponsor a 1900 ZAR 1 Pond through the Münzkabinett sponsorship program. This sponsorship will link this coin to the WCNS for eternity. Thomas also secured approved access to the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz (German Secret State Archives), where a substantial amount of previously unexamined documents were discovered. These findings are expected to help clarify several outstanding questions surrounding the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek coinage.
Thomas van der Spuy gives feedback on his trip to the Berlin International Coin Show and his even more exciting visit to the German Secret State Archives that captivated all and sundry in the room.
The sponsorship certificate for the 1900 1 Pond gold coin housed in the Münzkabinett
Student member Joel Potgieter then gave the second talk of the day on his favourite subject: the collecting of ancient coins. This was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees, including the Mayor. A lucky draw competition was then held, the prize being the wonderful book by Professor Francois Malan of the University of Pretoria on the South African Gold Sovereign. The draw was won by Jandre Jacobs.
Joel Potgieter is seen explaining some interesting facts about ancient coins during his well-researched presentation.
Jandre Jacobs receiving his book won in the lucky draw from Pierre Nortje
Our newly elected Vice Chairman, Gary Willicott, provided feedback on a plan for a 2026 membership drive, followed by Jonathan Odes, who discussed the proposed membership fees for the year. With the introduction of our new logo setting the tone, there are exciting initiatives to grow WCNS’s social media presence, which will partly rely on volunteers. These efforts, including a refreshed website, will be driven by our younger, energetic, and tech-savvy members.
The formal proceedings were then followed by a wonderful spit braai fit for a king and a live auction by the Bassani group, where the proceeds were donated to our society. All the visitors also received a wonderful gift from the South African Numismatic Grading Society (SANGS), being an encapsulated silver tickey in mint state condition.
This short video gives a peek at the fantastic 2026 Western Cape Numismatic Society Annual General Meeting.
Collectors Corner
Collecting South African Numismatic Postcards
The initial postcard was produced in 1870 and rapidly became popular as an inexpensive and fast way to communicate. This, coupled with a passion for collecting, ignited the peak of postcard mailing from the early 1900s until the First World War. Postcards have mainly become associated with vacations and are gradually being overshadowed by modern digital communication methods.
In the early 1900s, a German businessman named Hugo Semmler issued a series of postcards that show embossed images of then-current circulating base metal, silver and gold coins of the world, with a handy exchange-rate chart showing comparable values for common currencies. These were produced in German, French and English. The postcards were distributed in South Africa by a local Johannesburg company named Braune & Levy. Postcards showing pre-Reserve Bank banknotes of South Africa were also distributed by this firm. Follow the link discover more about this collecting field.
Friends of the WCNS
Recent articles published by WCNS
Reader's Comments
-
The Tickey – a legendary South African Coin: Great sleuthing - really enjoyed reading this. The word is much older than I had imagined - Mary
-
Victorian-era Patterns of South Africa: These pieces have earned their respective place in South Africa history irrespective of perceptions. Lovely article -Morgan Carroll
-
In Search of Napoleonic Treasure in the Karoo: Excellent article - Jan Rousseau
-
Woman on South African Coins: Interesting, well worth a read - chrisnaH
-
Silver Rarities of the Union of South Africa: Nice easy read very interesting - Mark Kaufman
Feature Article
It would seem that there is utter confusion in coin catalogues regarding exactly which Rhodesian coins were struck in proof condition. This is truly a mystery, as virtually all coin catalogues agree on the proof coins (and their numbers) of South African issues struck since 1923. This is not the case with Rhodesian coins, which were struck at the Royal Mint in London from 1932 and from 1964 at the South African Mint in Pretoria.
The author's research sheds more light on the subject and seems to have uncovered a prickly discovery that is sure to raise a few eyebrows within the South African numismatic fraternity.
Well-known numismatist and author, Prof Francois Malan, made the following remarks in one of his publications:
-
What coins did the Voortrekkers take with them when they set off North with their wagons in the 1830’s?
-
Almost no numismatic literature is available on the monetary aspects of the Great Trek and the coins taken along by the Voortrekkers.
-
This area requires research, as so little is known about the money used by the Voortrekkers during the first few years after the Trek.
Author Pierre H. Nortje took up the challenge and did some splendid research on this topic.
Seven Short Questions to a Fellow Collector
In this popular column, we send seven questions to random collectors and ask them to share their numismatic interests, knowledge, and tips.
For this instalment, we sent our questions to WCNS acting President Jonathan Odes, a keen collector and hobbyist who, like most collectors, also keeps an eye on his budget.
Below are the questions with Jonathan's answers:
Question 1: Tell us about yourself
My name is Jonathan Odes. I am single. I grew up in Milnerton in Cape Town and moved to Sea Point in standard 9 (grade 11) where I have lived ever since, except for an 8 year period in the mid/late 2000’s when I moved to Johannesburg for work.
Question 2: How and when did you become interested in collecting?
Collecting is in my genes, as my mother was always collecting things, and I have definitely inherited it from her.
My numismatic collecting started while I was in Jhb. I was walking past a coin shop and noticed some banknotes and coins in the window, so I walked in. I was fascinated that a purple R5 note could be selling for R5000. The guy in the shop explained Unc and replacement notes, and no security thread, etc. After that, I was hooked. I went home and searched for SA banknotes on the web, and bought some that day.
South African Rail Transport Coins, Tokens & Medallions
The construction of the first railway line in South Africa began in 1858 and connected Cape Town to Wellington.
Shortly thereafter, in 1860, the Natal Railway Company established a passenger and freight service connecting Durban to Harbour Point. This expanded with a line between Cape Town and Bloemfontein in 1890, and the Transvaal connecting to both Lourenço Marques and Bloemfontein by means of railway lines soon after.
This short paper rediscovers the 168-year journey of South African railways through the coins, tokens and medallions issued.
Political faux pas on banknotes
In November 1998, the Mauritian Rs1000 banknote design was changed, but was withdrawn less than a year later due to political incorrectness. The order of the three languages printed on the obverse of all the Mauritian notes was English, followed by Tamil and then Hindi. On the new notes, the latter two languages were reversed.
Politically incorrect note
Corrected note
The Tamil people found this unacceptable, and the notes were replaced with the correct design. Click the notes to zoom.
Western Cape Numismatic Society Announcements
The 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held on 21st February 2026. All members wishing to attend are kindly requested to contact us beforehand. The program will include a short presentation and the announcement of the winner of the Walter Bergman Trophy for Numismatic Endeavour.
Membership
Membership of the society is open to all and enquiries can be made through our Contact Us channel.
WCNS Archives
Our comprehensive library consists of SA Numismatic Publications and Government Gazette sections, 1870 - current in Pdf formats, with an added Category Section as a research finding aid. Follow the Library link in the Site Menu bar.
Featured Library Item:
By: Cdr Anthony-Glenn von Zeil
A concise publication on the background of the Defence of O’Kiep Medal, including a detailed chronology, a map of O’Kiep, with an extensive list of resources by this renowned author and historical researcher.
A further handy companion, Roll of the Apparent Recipients of the Cape Copper Company's Medal by the late medal expert, Don Forsythe, has also been uploaded.
Did you know?
-
The Western Cape is the only one of the nine provinces to confer its own honours. Established by the provincial legislature in May 1999, the awards are the Western Cape Golden Cross and Order of the Disa (3 classes).
Photo: Russell Kaplan Auctioneers
-
Approximately 1.5 million ½c coins were minted in 1969 using 1964 dies, in an attempt to alleviate the shortage of these coins following the introduction of the second decimal series in 1965
Source: History of the Nickel Coins of South Africa
-
On 20th September, 1941, the S.A. Mint received an order from the Free French Government for five million brass coins. No matrices or master punches were available and so the modelling of plaster models had to be undertaken locally. Mr Coert L. Steynberg was selected for this work. Below are photographic reproductions of the plaster models depicting the obverse and reverse designs of the coin in question. These two models are the first of their kind to be modelled in South Africa for coining purposes and consequently, they fall under the classification of “ highest rarity.”
Source: Institute of Certificated Engineers
A Focus on African Imitation Money
At a SANS meeting held in January 1966, one of the members displayed three imitation coins that surprised everyone. They were clearly not intended to be forgeries, but their purpose and origin were unknown. It was even suggested that the coins might have been made on Robben Island.
Pictures of the imitations, described as African Native Money, were later published in two Barclays Bank booklets and are shown below. (Click on the pic to zoom).
The first and second sets, which were published in two different booklets, are engraved differently and not the same sets of imitation coins, but were clearly copied from the same genuine coins.
A suggestion was also put forward that it is the same set of imitation coins, but engraved on both sides. We cannot know for sure, as we only have these photos as a record.
As to which type of coins were copied? We have added two images of the "young head" Queen Victoria coins issued by Britain from 1839 onwards as a suggestion.
Any additional info on these pieces will be welcomed by using the Contact Us channel.
Transvaal Erekruis 1876
South Africa's first Military Award for Valour.
It is common knowledge that the Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the British decorations system. It has been awarded since 1856 for valour to members of the British Armed Forces.
What is not common knowledge (actually for all practical purposes unknown to military historians over the past almost 150 years) is the fact that the Volksraad of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republic instituted a similar military Cross for Valour almost a quarter of a century before the outbreak of the Second Boer War.
A new booklet reveals the fascinating story of the Transvaal Erekruis, based on information the author, Pierre H. Nortje, sourced from old documents kept at the National Archives in Pretoria.
The publication of this booklet was made possible by a donation from the Western Cape Numismatic Society, to which all funds from the sale thereof will be donated back to the Society.