Some background on the imitation ponde, written by Professor Michael Laidlaw.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then the Kruger Pond must rank as worlds most favoured gold coin. A hundred years ago and more, huge numbers of Kruger Pond imitations were produced in Britain. Indeed, some varieties of these tokens are so prolific that no collector of South African coins can have failed to encounter an example. How did this come about?
Parlour games were a popular pastime in Victorian and Edwardian Britain. Many of these games, particularly card games, required tokens or counters to keep track of the progress and eventual outcome. Stationers would sell large quantities of these counters packed into boxes. To give the games an additional thrill it was fashionable to have the counters resemble British gold coins. The George III imitation Guinea with the legend, IN MEMORY OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS and the, TO HANOVER, Victoria imitation Sovereign are commonly found examples.
The Counterfeit Medal Act of 1883 put an end to the production of unlicensed coin-like tokens and medals bearing the likeness of a British Monarch. Subsequently, medal manufacturers would frequently incorporate the medals registration number onto the die to demonstrate their compliance with the Act. Presumably no licence of these sovereign-like counters was granted. Certainly no examples exist with the Jubilee-head or old-head of Queen Victoria.
Foreign coins were not covered by the Act. Tokens from Europe showing the Emperor Napoleon, Napoleon III or one of the German Kaisers were probably imported into Britain to meet the demand. With the advent, in 1892, of the coinage of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (Z.A.R.), having the bust of President Paul Kruger on the obverse, came a more appealing replacement opportunity. For a start, the Kruger Pond was identical to the British Sovereign in size, weight and gold content and could be, and was, used interchangeably in trade. A large fraction of the resident population in the Z.A.R. was either British by birth or colonists of British descent from other parts of South Africa. The result was that the coins would have become familiar to people in living in Britain. The country was in the midst of a wild gold rush and the names and exploits of the pioneers who amassed great fortunes appeared frequently in the British press. Thus the Z.A.R. became associated with gold in the British publics mind. Later on, the conflicts between the British and Z.A.R. governments which escalated into the Anglo Boer War greatly dramatised the appeal of the coinage. Soldiers returning home would bring back examples as souvenirs. Lastly, the Kruger Pond is a lovely coin. The image of President Kruger is distinctive and, even in those days, iconic.
Most of the Kruger Pond imitations are dated 1896, so it can be assumed that their production started from about that time. From the many different varieties of these counters and also from the fact that large numbers still exist, it can be inferred that they became very popular in Britain. Some of the varieties exhibit evidence of extensive rust pitting on the dies. Others show that the original dies had been reworked and repaired. From this it would appear that production continued for many years, perhaps decades. Judging from the major differences which exist between some of the varieties, probably more than one company was involved in their manufacture, but the names of the companies are not known.
The intention was never to make accurate copies of, or to counterfeit, the Kruger Pond. All contain the word imitation. None of the counters were well made, and some were dreadfully crude. Little care was taken in the metal alloy used which runs between bronze and brass. Examples of the same counter can be found in different alloys. Some of counters may have been lightly gilded. All have an upright milled edge in keeping with the real Pond. Not much attention was paid to the size and weight although all are roughly 22 mm in diameter which corresponds reasonably to the Pond and the thickness is realistic. The weight is variable and about half that of a real Pond.
Paul Withers in his booklet Kruger Pond Imitations (Galata Print Ltd., 2002) records 14 varieties of the counter including the 12 Pond. These varieties are also recorded in Brian Herns handbook, The Medallions of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek and the Anglo Boer War, pages 127-29. The numbering given by Withers has been followed here. No new varieties have been found but a 5a has been added because, although made from the same dies as variety 5, the dies had been harshly cleaned to remove rust deposits with the result that the counters have a markedly different appearance.
Kruger Pond Imitations are an interesting back-water of South African numismatics. They will never gain serious collector appeal, but they remain, as they were originally intended, items for fun and amusement that can be enjoyed and collected without heavy demands on the pocket
