Select from the links below:





Dr Frank Mitchell, Fellow of the South African Numismatic Society, on his introduction to numismatics:
"My final downfall came then an old family friend showed me his collection. I listened spellbound as he introduced me to his coin portrait gallery. He allowed me to hold a Macedonian tetradrachm of Alexander the Great while he told me of his incredible exploits. My hand trembled as I studied the fine portrait of Alexander in his lion-head headdress. Two and a quarter thousand years ago he died – though only 33, the conqueror of most of the known world. Suddenly, as I studied the coin, the truth dawned – I was holding History in my hand!"

Scott Balson's views - exactly! Scott met the famous South African numismatist at his home in Cape Town in 1978. His most striking memory of the meeting was when Mitchell produced an uncirculated (not proof) 1931 South African tickey (3d) and as Scott held the extremely valuable coin between his fingers Mitchell told him how he had found it while going through many, many thousands of coins... to Mitchell and Scott this piece was immensely more valuable than the proof piece... two like minds were one. 


Other useful research material in the Balson Holdings Family Trust collection:

Copies of Cape Parliamentary papers covering:

  • An 1876 inquiry into the affairs of Griqualand East (pp 280)
  • An 1879 inquiry into the "recent outbreak (of unrest) in Griqualand East with maps (pp225)

Email: info@tokencoins.com


The collection of books, magazines and articles listed here is very large (numbering over 250) so it has been broken into two main search options (these books have been used to compile the new book "Children of the Mist" - more about this new book at this link). Over one third of the books shown below are so rare that they cannot be found in bookstores or even for sale anywhere on the web (9 and 10).  

Select key Griqua related books by:

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Over 250 Griqua-related books held by the Balson Holdings Family Trust listed by publication date
. .
Date of
Publication

Title of book/resource

Author/s

S
rating*

Period: The Early Explorers

1673 An Account of the Cape of Good Hope and the Hottentotes, the Natives of that Country William Ten Rhyne
Henry Secreta Zevorzit

9

1682 History of the World (including Africa) Peter Heylyn

10

1767 De Promontorio Bonae Spei (The Cape of Good Hope) Gysbert Hemmy

9

1769 Histoire Moderne Des Africains Par Rollins

9

1770 The Present State of the Cape of Good Hope and the Hottentots Peter Kolben

9

1775 Histoire Moderne (Modern History) Volume 16 - Africa M Rollin

9

1790 Voyage de Monsieur Le Vaillant dans L' Interieur de L'Afrique (French Edition) Francois Le Vaillant  

9

1790 Travels into the Interior Parts of South Africa Francois Le Vaillant    

9

1790 A voyage to the Cape of Good Hope Vol II Anders Sparrman

9

1790 Second Voyage dans l'interieur de L'Afrique  (French Edition) Francois Le Vaillant    

9

1790 Travels in Various Parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, During a Series of Thirty Years and Upwards John MacDonald

9

1795 Sermons Preached in London, at the Formation of the Missionary Society London Missionary Society

10

1796 The European Magazine (Vol XXIX) January - June 1796 Philological Society

9

1801 Voyage Dans La Partie Meridionale De L'Afrique John Barrow

9

1802 An Account of Travels into the Interior of Southern Africa John Barrow

9

Period: The First Missionaries

1803 South African Mission London Missionary Society Kircherer and Kramer

10

1805 Evangelical Magazine (1805) Various

9

1806 Gleanings in Africa (rare first edition) Various letters

9

1812 Walks of Usefulness Rev John Campbell

6

1815 Travels in South Africa (first and second editions) Rev John Campbell

8

1815 BOOK REVIEW Travels in South Africa, undertaken at the Request of the Missionary Society The Quarterly Review

10

1816 Evangelical Magazine - Missionary Chronicle Vol XXIV Various

8

1819 World's Displayed for the Benefit of Young People Rev John Campbell

10

1819 "The Piety of Youth" and "World Displayed" Rev John Campbell
and Kiah Bayley

10

1820 Hints on emigration to the Cape of Good Hope William Burchell

10

1820 Quarterly Review Vol XXII John Murray

9

1820 BOOK REVIEW Burchell and La Trobe The Quarterly Review

9

1821 A Journal of a Visit to South Africa La Trobe

9

1822 Travels in South Africa.. a second journey Rev John Campbell

8

1822 BOOK REVIEW Travels in South Africa.. a second journey The Quarterly Review

10

1828 Researches in South Africa Rev John Philip

9

1830 Voyages to & from the Cape of Good Hope with an account of a journey into the interior of S Africa Rev John Campbell

10

1831 The Life Of Africaner, A Namacqua Chief, Of South Africa (RARE first edition Soft copy) Rev John Campbell

10

Electronic transcript of The Life of Africaner
1832 London Missionary Society Magazine Various

8

1832 Voyages to & from the Cape of Good Hope with an account of a journey into the interior of S Africa Rev John Campbell

10

1833 The Life Of Africaner, A Namacqua Chief, Of South Africa (First hard copy edition) Rev John Campbell

10

1833 The Tribes near Delagoa Bay (15 page extract from 1833 Royal National Geographic Society publication) William Cooley

9

1833 The Penny Farthing (UK Weekly Magazine - article about Hottentots) Various

9

1834 Journal of Travels in South Africa - abridged by Rev John Campbell (three copies) Rev John Campbell

10

1834 Journey to Lattakoo in South Africa - fifth edition Rev John Campbell

10

1835 Journal of Travels in South Africa - Second abridged edition Rev John Campbell

10

1835 Journey to Lattakoo in South Africa Rev John Campbell

10

1836 Narrative of a Journey to the Zoolu Country, in South Africa Captain A F Gardiner

8

1837 The Life Of Africaner, A Namacqua Chief, Of South Africa (Second hard copy edition) Rev John Campbell

10

1839 Wild Sports of Southern Africa Second Edition Capt William C Harris

9

1839-41 London Missionary Society Magazine Various

9

1840 Harpers Discovery in Africa Professor Jameson

9

1840 Journal of Travels in South Africa - Final edition Rev John Campbell

10

1840 Voyages to & from the Cape of Good Hope with an account of a journey into the interior of S Africa Rev John Campbell

10

1840 Six letters on the Church question (signed by John Campbell) Rev John Campbell

10

Period: The Early Hunters

1841 The Cape Records relative to the condition and treatment of the native tribes of South Africa from an inquiry (prepared for the British Governor in the Cape) Donald Moodie

10

1841 Wild Sports of Southern Africa Third Edition Capt William C Harris

9

1841 South African Sketches Capt H Butler

10

1841 Memorials of South Africa Barnabus Shaw

9

1844 A Narrative of a Visit to the Mauritius and South Africa James Backhouse

8

1845 The Mission or Scenes in Africa Captain Marryat

9

1845 Evangelical Magazine (1845) Various

9

1846 Gospel among the Bechuanas (signed first edition) Robert Moffat

9

1846 Memoir respecting the Kaffers, Hottentots and Bosjemans (Two volumes) Lieut Col John Sutherland

10

1846 Evangelical Magazine (1846) Various

9

1848 Journal Residence Cape of Good Hope, SOUTH AFRICA Charles Bunbury

9

c1850 Harpers Family Library - Discovery in Africa Prof Jameson

5

1850   A Hunter's Life in South Africa (rare second edition) R Gordon Cumming

9

1850 Races of Men: A fragment Dr Robert Knox

9

1852 Wild Sports of Southern Africa Captain W C Harris

9

1853 The Kafir, the Hottentot, and the frontier farmer Archdeacon Merriman

7

1855, 56, 58 A Hunter's Life in South Africa (three separate editions) R Gordon Cumming

7

1856 Visit to Moselekatse, King of the Matabele Robert Moffat

9

1857 Missionary Chronicle Magazine London

8

1857 & 58 Notes on the Bible Rev John Campbell

10

1857 & 58 Missionary travels and researches in South Africa Dr David Livingstone

8

1857 Grammar and Vocabulary of the Namaqua-Hottentot language Searchable PDF (5 MByte) Henry Tindall

0

1858 A Hunter's Life in South Africa R Gordon Cumming

9

1858 Livingstone's Explorations in South Africa David Livingstone

9

1858 Hunting Scenes in the Wilds of Africa John Potter

9

1862 Natal en Nieuw-Gelderland William Karel Ente

10

Period: The Later Missionaries

1864 Zulu Land, life among the Zulu-Kafirs Rev Lewis Gout

9

1871 The Diamond Advertiser - Kimberley 29 July 1871 Original Newspaper

9

1872 How I found Livingstone: Travels, Adventures and Discoveries in Central Africa Henry M Stanley

8

1872 Library of Travel, Exploration and Adventure travels in S Africa Bayard Taylor

10

1872 - 73 Harpers Magazine - complete magazine Volume XLVI....December 1872 to May 1873 Various

9

1873 Life in the Diamond Fields Slavery and Torture Albert E Coleman

7

1873 Illustrated Library of Travel Exploration and Adventure Bayard Taylor

7

1873 Compendium of South African History and Geography George M Theal

9

1875 Harpers New Monthly Magazine (Article on David Livingstone) Various

9

1876 Scenes and Services in South Africa (Presentation copy signed by Moffat) Robert Moffat

9

1876-1906 Set of twelve key Cape of Good Hope yearly Native Affairs Blue Books - 1879-1906 Cape Parliament

10

1878 Reprint of speech on (the British) abandoning the Orange River Territory (1854) Sir William Molesworth

10

1878 The Graves of Heiti-Eibib. The Pre-Historic Hottentot Race. Dr. Theoph Hahn

9

1879 Through the Dark Continent Henry M Stanley

7

The Bureaucrats

1881 On Temperate South Africa - Royal Geographical Society (by Bartle Frere the Governor of the Cape) Bartle Frere

9

1882 Cradle Songs of Many Nations Walter Satterlee

5

1883 Return to an address of the House of Lords - Griqua Treaties 1834 - 1882 Various

9

1885 Gospel among the Bechuanas (later edition) Robert Moffat

9

1885 The lives of Robert and Mary Moffat John S Moffat

5

1885 The Immortal History of South Africa M J Boon

10

1885 The History of the Orange Free State M J Boon

10

1886 Popery, Ancient and Modern John Campbell

10

1887 Roman Legion on Libyan Fields Sihlobosami

10

1887 The White Chief of the Caffres Maj-Gen A W Drayson

10

1888 Mariannhill Mission Newspapers - complete year Mariannhill Mission

10

1890 Narrative of an Explorer in Tropical South Africa Sir Francis Galton

7

1890 In Darkest Africa (Two Volumes) Henry M Stanley

7

1890 Labors and Scenes in Southern Africa Robert Moffat

9

c1890 Collection Box of the London Missionary Society London Missionary Society

10

1891 Rambles in South Africa Rev Dr Campbell

5

1894 Among the Matabele David Carnegie

5

1894 The story of the LMS C Silverster Horne

10

1894 The Story of South Africa George M Theal

5

1895 A Question of Color F C Philips

8

1896 Reminiscences of Kafir Life and History Hon Chas Brownlee

7

1896 Davis' Bulawayo Directory and handbook on Matabeleland Alexander Davis

10

1896 The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland J T Bent

7

Boer War Period

c1900 Collection of Boer War Book, Papers and Documents Various

1898 - 1903 Records of south-eastern Africa (Complete set of nine volumes all first editions) George McCall Theal

9

c1900 The Times war map of South Africa (Fourth edition) The Times

5

The most sought after book on the Griqua

1902 The Early Annals of Kokstad and East Griqualand Rev W Dower

10

Early 1900s

1903 In the Kraals of South Africa John Ritchie

10

1905 With Sword and Statute Major D B Hook

9

1907 Das Trappisten-Missionskloster Mariannhill siehe Beschreibung

10

1910 Early days - pioneer life on the South African diamond fields John Angove

9

1912 Cape of Adventure Ian D Colvin

4

1914 The Diary of Adam Tas Adam Tas

5

1916 Pioneers in South Africa Sir Harry Johnston

5

1917 Robert Moffat: The story of a great missionary Hubert Williams

4

1917 The Moffats Ethel Daniels Hubbard

4

1918 Christina Forsyth of Fingoland, the story of the loneliest woman in Africa W P Livingstone

3

1918 The Transkei Miss M H Mason

9

c1920 Zululand its traditions, legends, customs and folklore H L Samuelson

10

1922 Place names of the Orange Free State Rev Charles Pettman

9

1922 Ukupila - Kwomzimba Mariannhill Missionary Press

10

1923 The Transkeian Native Territories - Historical Records Frank Brownlee

4

1926 The Fellowship of the Veld Godfrey Callaway

4

1927 The Coinage of Griqualand H Alexander Parsons

8

1927 The Cape Colour Question - A Historical Survey W M MacMillan

5

1928 Banking and Currency Development in S Africa (1652-1927) E H D Arndt

8

1931 The Grand Old Days of the Diamond Fields George Beet

5

1932 Jubelfees-gedenkboek van die (NGK) Gemeente Grikwastad A Dreyer

10

1934 Notes on the Coinage of the South African Republic J T Becklake

7

1936 More Annals of Natal A F Hattersley M.A.

4

1937 Galloping Jack Napier Devitt FRSA

10

1937 Zulu Journey Carel Birkby

4

1937 Die Noordwaartse Beweging van die Boere Voor die Groot Trek (1770-1842) Dr P J van der Merwe

10

1937 Die Wordings en Verwordings Geskiedenis can die Koranna J A Engelbrecht PhD

10

1937 The Romance of a South African village M T R Smit

7

1938 Later Annals of Natal A F Hattersley M.A.

9

1938 The Phonetics of the Hottentot Language D M Beach

5

c 1940 The Griquas of Griqualand S J Halford

5

1942 Die Grikwas en hul bure (The Griquas and their neighbours) J F Jacobs

10

1945 Short history of the volunteer regiment of Natal and East Griqualand Col Godfrey T Hurst

7

1945 The Matabele Journals of Robert Moffat J P R Wallis

2

1945 The Matabele Mission (rare limited edition) J P R Wallis

9

1946 Pioneers of Underberg Peter McKenzie

9

1947 The Founder of Mariannhill Berchmans Hofmann

10

1947 Against These Three Stuart Cloete

4

1947 'n Griekwa "ietsigeit" (Things about the Griqua) - 3 copies D H van Zyl

10

1948 The Orange River Sovereignty (1848-1854) J F Midgley

9

1949 Uit die geskiedenis van Griekwaland-Oos - 2 copies E C Coetser

10

1950 Catalogue of the coins of South Africa Dr Alec Kaplan

8

1950 Those in Bondage Victor de Kock

4

1950 King of the Bastards Sarah Gertrude Millin

1

1951 Apprenticeship at Kuruman - being the journals of Robert and Mary Moffat (first written in 1820/28)
(Two books - including number 18 of 35 presentation copies)
Oppenheimer Library

5

1951 Muntstukkie, Waar Kom Jy Vandaan Wm D Simpson

8

1951 The Khoisan Peoples of South Africa I Schapera

3

1953 Travels in the interior of South Africa (Signed by I Schapera) William J Burchell

9

1954 A talk on Old Umzimkulu Miss Freda Paynter

9

More recent works

1955 Lightest Africa F Spencer Chapman

2

1955 A history of currency in South Africa Miss E M Shaw

6

1960 Hancock's Drift F W Powell

10

1962 Stanford's Reminiscences (Set of two books) J W MacQuarrie

3

1962 British Colonial Coins and Tokens
(reprinted from the American Numismatic Association's "The Numismatist")
J Verner Scaife jnr

7

1964+ A man of Faith and Action Sr Annette Buschgerd

8

1965 From Real to Rand J T Becklake

3

1966 Tokens of Southern Africa. A Catalogue Based on the Collection in the Africana Museum E J Maynard

7

1967 Travels in S Africa and Travels in S Africa, a second journey (Reprints of the two Books - see above) Rev John Campbell

7

1967 Travels in the interior of South Africa - 1811-12 (First print 1822) William J Burchell

7

1968 Woodcut Vignettes from "Travel in the interior of South Africa" William John Burchell

1

1968 The Cape Coloured People 1652 - 1937 J S Marais

4

1968 From Barter to Barclays Eric Rosenthal

3

1969 Gleanings in Africa (reprint of 1806 edition - see above) Various letters

8

1970 The Tokens of Natal Pat Moran

6

1970 Munte en die Mens Matthy Esterhuysen

8

1970 The Story of Hottentots Holland Peggy Heap

4

1971 Cape Good Hope 1652 - 1702 The First Fifty Years of Dutch Colonisation as seen by the callers R Raven Hart

4

1971 Wortschatz der Khoi-Khoin (Namaqua-Hottentotten) - Dictionary Khoi-Khoi:German J G Kroenlein

7

1971 A history of the regular and emergency paper money issues of South Africa W Bergman

6

1973 Gentlemen of Brave Mettle R Harber

6

1974 They came our way Basil Holt

3

1974 The Kafirs Illustrated (Limited edition 950 facsimilie of extremely rare 1847 edition) George French Angas

6

1974 Beyond the Cape Frontier C Saunders and R Derricourt

4

1976 South Africa's First Gold Coin (Burgerspond) Matthy Esterhuysen

3

1976 Transkei Independence, Black Viewpoint Various authors

10

1976 In the shadows of the Drakensberg John Shephard

6

1976 Adam Kok's Griquas Robert Ross

5

1977 Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700 A J Boeseken

3

1978 Cry the beloved country (signed limited edition) Alan Paton

9

1978 Original copy of "Kence" (signed limited edition) S Balson &
C Graham

10

1978 Kence, the trade tokens of Strachan & Co S Balson &
C Graham

9

1978 Tokens of S Africa and their History Dr G P Theron

5

1978 The Coinage of Griqua Town - article in "Antiques in South Africa" 1978 (pp103-105) Dr F K Mitchell

3

1978 The Early Annals of Kokstad and East Griqualand (Reprint of Dower's 1902 book with notes) Killie Campbell Library

4

1980 Forgotten Frontiersmen Alf Wannenburgh

4

1982 The Mount Currie Express, the stamp of East Griqualand Justice T M Mullins

9

1983 Kuruman Moffat Mission Alan Butler

9

1984 On the high flats of Natal Valerie Woodley

9

1984 Post Office Stone - follow up article about Mount Currie Express Stamp Justice T M Mullins

9

1984 Groep Sonder Grense H F Heese

10

1985 No Man's Land - Griqualand Ken Strachan

10

1985 Khoikhoi and the founding of White South Africa Richard Elphick

7

1986 A Hunter's Life in South Africa (reprint of 1850 book) R Gordon Cumming

3

1986 From Ox-Wagon to Motor Car in East Griqualand Manuscript Robert Percy Larkan

10

1987 Money in South Africa C L Engelbrecht

3

1987 Kuruman Moffat Mission Alan Butler

5

1989 Beloved Partner, Mary Moffat of Kuruman Moira Dickson

5

1991 White Supremacy and Black Resistance in pre-Industrial South Africa Clifton C Crais

5

1991 Hern's Handbook of South African Coins Brian Hern

3

1992 The Touwfontein Letters - William Porter Karel Schoeman

3

Post Apartheid

1994 Long Walk to Freedom (signed) Nelson Mandela

5

1994 (Dec) Death in Pella: Mortuary rituals in a Namaqualand Reserve (Annals of the S African Museum) G P Klinghardt

5

1995 Weapons of Peace Peter S Anderson

5

1996 Griqua Records - The Philippolis Captaincy Karel Schoeman

5

1997 The Mission Station at Griquatown 1801 - 1821 Karel Schoeman

5

1998 Dr Atherstone - Man of many facets (Three Volumes) (Pseudo Autobiography) Nerina Mathie

9

Post 2000

2000 David's Story Zoe Wicomb

1

2001 Post Carts in Southern Natal and East Griqualand (Natalia) Milner Snell
and Ken Strachan

5

2002 The Griqua Captaincy of Philippolis, 1826 - 1861 Karel Schoeman

5

2002 Early History of Adam Kok and East Griqualand 1863-1875 C G de Bruin

9

c2002 Afrikaanse Kloek Goed Hetta Hager

9

c2003 Kloek-Goed Twee Hetta Hager

9

2003 (April) Structure and process in the local govt of Pella (Annals of the S African Museum) G P Klinghardt

5

2003 Madonela: Donald Strachan autocrat of Umzimkulu Margaret Rainier

4

2003 PDF of Standard Bank's commemorative brochure of 125 years in Kokstad  
- confirms use of Strachan and Co trade tokens as currency in 1870s
(note nearly 1 megabyte in size!)
Standard Bank,
Kokstad

1

2003 The South African Coin and Banknote Catalogue Randburg Coin

1

2003 Hottentot Venus (Signed) Barbara Chase-Riboud

5

2004 The Griquas of South Africa and their Money S Balson

8

2004 Handbook on Southern African tokens Brian Hern

3

2005 Strachan and Co Pty Limited, Merchants and Importers Milner Snell

9

c2005 Adam Kloek - Goed (Two copies both signed - with separate explanation of words used) Hetta Hager

9

c2005 Die Behae van God Donald W Riekert

9

c2005 Wasempies Geluk Donald W Riekert

9

c2005 Drome van die Jongmeisie Donald W Riekert

9

2006 South African Coins and Patterns Brian Hern

2

2006 "Old King Cole" James Cole of Riverside Milner Snell

8

2006 Tokens of Mozambique Allyn Jacobs

10

2006 van Amsterdam tot Noordkaap van Rooyen, Malan and du Toit

5

April 2006 The Griqua of the Northern Cape - land ownership, identity and leadership (two copies - one signed) Johan Cronje

5

August 2006 Children of the Mist, the lost tribe of South Africa (Just 20 Presentation Copies) Scott Balson

10

2007 A small river in a great valley, a journey through old Umzimkulu Milner Snell

8

2007 Claim to the Country (Research on the Bushmen) Pippa Skotnes

4

2007 Tokens of the Transkei Milner Snell

9

2007 (Oct) Children of the Mist, the lost tribe of South Africa - First Edition 5,000 copies Scott Balson

1

2007 Looking back - a photographic history of Kokstad (only 100 copies) Kokstad Museum

8

2008 Hern's Handbook of South African Coins & Patterns Brian Hern

3

2008 ZAR Coin Pieces of original art Ray Leppan

2

2009 Traders and Trading Stations of the central and southern Transkei M C Thompson

2

2009 Hern's Handbook on Southern African tokens Brian Hern & Allyn Jacobs

2

October 2009 Transkei Heritage Joan A Broster

1

2010 Tokens of the Transkei (colour) Milner Snell

9

2010 Tokens of the Colony and Province of Natal (colour) Milner Snell

9

*(S Rating) Scarcity Rating (includes scarcity, relevance and content) - with 10 being the most desirable and 1 easiest to acquire. Those highlighted in the deeper shades of red are highly sought after works.

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