South african penny mintage

N#18643

I noticed the mintage figures for these pennies are very different from the numbers listed on the ngc page.  If anyone has any has information that would clear this up I would appreciate it.

These seem correct. Why? They match Hearns. What Hern’s Handbook Is

Comprehensive catalogue: It covers South African coinage from the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR, 1874–1902) through the Union, Republic, and modern decimal issues.

Detailed entries: Each coin listing includes year, denomination, obverse/reverse descriptions, engravers, mint locations, rarity notes, and updated valuations by grade.

Patterns and proofs: Beyond circulation coins, Hern’s Handbook documents patterns, trial strikes, and proof issues, making it indispensable for advanced collectors.

Regularly updated: First published in the late 1970s, it has been issued in multiple editions, with the 2024/25 and 2025/26 editions being the most recent. Each update reflects new auction results, revised rarity ratings, and current market prices.

Why Collectors Use It

Standard reference numbers: Coins are catalogued with Hern numbers (e.g., Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 for ZAR pennies), which are widely used in auctions, dealer lists, and scholarly articles.

Market guidance: Provides estimated values across grades (VG to UNC), helping collectors assess fair pricing and rarity.

Historical context: Includes background on engravers, minting history (Berlin vs. Pretoria), and political figures like President Paul Kruger.

Trusted authority: Alongside Krause’s Standard Catalog of World Coins, Hern’s Handbook is considered the benchmark for South African numismatics.

colonialjohn

These seem correct. Why? They match Hearns. What Hern’s Handbook Is

 

Trusted authority: Alongside Krause’s Standard Catalog of World Coins, Hern’s Handbook is considered the benchmark for South African numismatics.

Both of these benchmarks can't be right.

NGC is wrong. Numista is correct. IMO.

NGC mintages come from SCWC one of the “benchmark for South African numismatics.”  Why do you think Hern's is correct and SCWC wrong?

As an example and from other experiences - SCWC provides broad global mintage figures, but Hern’s Handbook is considered more accurate for South African coins because it draws on local mint records and distinguishes varieties like the rare 1893 penny struck with 1893 dies. Collectors and auction houses in South Africa therefore rely on Hern’s breakdown rather than SCWC’s aggregated totals.

I mean look at Mexico and KM's blunders page after page for the War of Independence issues. There is not an experienced MNA member like myself today that would not agree KM is WORTHLESS for this entire series. I always consider Krause as a starting point not an END POINT. 

This was also discussed before, 12 years ago.  https://en.numista.com/forum/topic25738.html  The conclusion was to stick to Numista's mintage but there was no solid evidence, just conjecture.  

Since this coin page entered the Numista catalog in 2012 with the same mintages it has now I don't think there is enough reason to change it.  Still, it would be nice to understand where SCWC got their numbers.  The only one that really agrees is for 1898.

I see your point. Being from the U.S. there is rarely debates of mintages in the U.S. Red Book. We only seem to argue is how many examples are currently extant for rare years or rare varieties. After 65 years in numismatics is the mintage figures that critical as to how many examples exist from review of auction archives of the top auction houses who specialize in a particular coinage? Can I afford it. What is the rarest year from 2-3 sources. Good luck moving forward if its that critical to you … JPL 

I wasn't arguing at all. I was agreeing with you. I was just questioning your logic.  But thank you for wishing me luck. Much appreciated!