STATS:

Year:  1902
Mintage:  Nine Hundred and Eighty Six (986)
Metal:  Gold

Description:  The gold was refined to 24 carat fineness, or as close as was physically possible, and poured out onto a veld rock, and then passed through the hand operated rolling machine. The gold was very brittle, and cracked continually. This process was repeated three times until the gold had been rolled into sheets which were slightly thicker than English Sovereigns.

COUNTERFEITS: There are many counterfeits of the veld pond coin, and in many cases it takes an expert eye to spot fakes. Usually the shape and breadth of the letters and figures as well as the spacing gives some clues. The weight and the number of grooves around the coins edge are not always conclusive evidence, for the mass of these veld ponds varied between 116g and 131g, and the number of grooves could be 72, 74 or 79!