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 MAAGT ("Unity makes strength")
Legend: ½ POND * 1895 *
Mintage: 135,000 pcs.
Reference: Friedberg 3, KM-9.2.
Weight: 3.95 gram of Gold (.916) - 0.1176 oz. AGW
Diameter: 20 mm
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.