1892 proefpennie.
An extraordinarily rare 1892 ZAR Proof Penny—one of only 25 ever struck—is set to lead Signature Auction 27 at Bassani’s Auction House on Sunday 2 August, marking a milestone moment for collectors of rare international currency.
Representing the very birth of official coin production for the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek under President Paul Kruger, the coin carries a catalogued value of R350,000 in the Hern reference guide and stands as a foundational artifact of South Africa's monetary identity.
"The 1892 coinage is one of South Africa’s great numismatic rarities," said Landon Coleske, senior numismatic expert at Bassani’s Auction House. "While millions of pennies would eventually circulate across Southern Africa, just 25 1892 Proof examples were produced for collectors and official presentation purposes. More than 130 years later, they remain among the most elusive South African coins, with years often passing between public offerings."
Dillon Bassani, director of the auction house, emphasised that the sale spans both historic heritage and modern minting achievements. Alongside the 1892 penny, the event will feature one of the South African Mint's most ambitious modern creations: a one-kilogram silver high relief cheetah from the African Range.
