Outing to the SA Mint Museum
By:
Ms Sharlene Bergman, Research Specialist at the SA Mint
Date:
Mon, 11/03/2024 - 10:00
Branch:
Northern
Outing to the SA Mint Museum
Tour Guide: Ms Sharlene Bergman, Research Specialist at the SA Mint
Date: Monday, 11 March 2024
Time: 10:00 for 10:30
Meet at: Meet at the foyer of the SA Mint Museum. Maximum 30 participants.
Duration: About 2 hours.
Parking: When passing through the entrance to the SA Mint, the Security staff will direct you to the Visitors’ Parking.
Charge: R50 for members. R100 for non-members.
Booking: Please email Anne Raeburn on anner@mweb.co.za to book
‘Oom Paul’, one of the oldest working mint presses in the world, dating from 1891 and used by the ZAR to produce coins from 1891 to 1900. SA Mint Museum.
Join ArchSoc for a tour of the SA Mint Museum to experience the history of currencies and coins used in South Africa, and beyond. Ms Sharlene Bergman, Research Specialist at the SA Mint, will guide us on this tour.
Information about the Outing
Africa has a rich history of early trade and barter, with cowrie shells, glass beads, and the Katanga Cross, amongst others, used as means of payment. Much later coins became the preferred currency. The advantage of using metals for currency, apart from durability, is that they can be shaped by melting and casting.
The first mint press in Southern Africa arrived in Pretoria in 1891 and was used to produce coins for the ZAR. These coins now command high prices on numismatics auctions.
‘Oom Paul’, one of the oldest working mint presses in the world, dating from 1891 and used by the ZAR to produce coins from 1891 to 1900. SA Mint Museum.
Join ArchSoc for a tour of the SA Mint Museum to experience the history of currencies and coins used in South Africa, and beyond. Ms Sharlene Bergman, Research Specialist at the SA Mint, will guide us on this tour.
Directions:
To the SA Mint –
Departing Johannesburg drive north on the N1 past Halfway House and exit at the off ramp marked R101S. This goes through a U turn to leave you on the R101 going south.
Important
This is the second off ramp to the R101 Old Johannesburg Rd. See the sign board below. Do not take the first exit to the R101.
Tight security requires a search of the boot of your car, a scan of your driving licence and a scan of your licence disc. In the gate drive past the weigh bridge, not over it. Visitor parking is to the right. Park your car and walk back to the reception of the ‘Coin World’ where there is a metal detection security check. We shall gather in the reception to the Coin Museum.
Regrettably, due to lack of suitable amenities, we will not be having our normal picnic lunch afterwards.
Report: Outing to the SA Mint Museum on 28 February 2024
Report: Outing to the SA Mint Museum on 28 February 2024
Twenty-one members and friends of the Northern Branch of ArchSoc attended the outing to the SA Mint Museum in Midrand. Here we were warmly welcomed by Arnold Carstens, Thinus Scheepers and Charlene Bergman who guided us through the Museum.
After passing through strict security control, we entered the outer display room of the Coin Museum. The exhibits in this room comprised amongst others, the oldest coin press in South Africa, colloquially known as ‘Oom Paul’, as it was used to mint coins of the ZAR, between 1892 and the fall of Pretoria during the South African War in 1900.
We soon learnt that the side of the coin that normally reproduces the face of the Emperor, King or President, is called the obverse, while the other side that mirrors the country’s emblem is known as the reverse.
Tender used in Africa, such as cowrie shells, the Katanga cross and other means of barter are also exhibited. We viewed examples of early coins used by the Venetians and the Romans. Arnold Carstens surprised all when he explained that Roman coins were not very valuable, as caches of coins secreted by Roman soldiers just prior to battles from which they never returned, were still being discovered across Europe.
Another interesting coin was the ‘Rijksdaalder’ or Rixdollar, that was in wide circulation during the 17th century. Charlene Bergman, Principal Researcher at the SA Mint, confirmed that during this period, the Rixdollar was the equivalent of today’s EURO.
Master craftsman Thinus Scheepers then explained the process whereby modern coins are designed and manufactured. First, a motif is proposed to the designers employed by the SA Mint. The SA Mint adheres to the principle that all living species are interconnected. Hence, the motif could relate to specific aspects of fauna, flora, or nature. The designers then come up with illustrations of what the proposed coin would look like. Thereafter, clay models of the shortlisted designs are made. Then a digital version of the clay model is transferred onto a computer using a high-resolution scanner. Once the design has been approved, a computer-controlled machine sculpts it onto a piece of high-grade steel, which is then used to strike a master punch. Finally, the master punch is used to strike the dies that are used to produce the coins.