NOTE: "Known Mintages" in the sets below ONLY represent the over 20,000 coins counted by Balson during an intensive six month cataloguing of the stock held at Strachan and Co's main store at Umzimkulu in 1976. This collection at the store was melted down by Ken Strachan in the 1980s after the Strachan empire was dissolved in 1984. They exclude a large cache of these coins that  were scrapped, neither do these "Known Mintages" and "Estimated Surviving" figures include the caches of thousands of other S&Co tokens subsequently tracked down by collectors. These are recorded and analysed separately at the bottom of this page. The integrity of the proportional scarcity of each coin in a set is maintained by accurately recording the numbers in the Balson count .

The good news for coin collectors is that the more common "IN GOODS" varieties are readily available. There are four sets of S&Co tokens - their subtle change in application from true currency tokens to barter (or monopoly) tokens can be seen in later mintings. (See tokens and their types)

The Four Sets of Strachan and co Tokens:

• The S & Co
• The rare S & Co MH
• The "OLD" S & Co In Goods set
• The "NEW" S & Co In Goods set
• Are there in fact two sets of "in goods"?
• Oddities

Additional important information:

• Mintages of the four sets counted by Scott Balson in 1976 and estimation of these surviving
• Additional large caches of S&Co tokens that have since come to light

• Known revised mintages of S & Co coins counted

  Going prices and history of complete set prices since 1980
  
  Email:  info@tokencoins.com

The Technical details of the four
Strachan and Co token coin sets

Rare to very rare.

Oldest of the sets. True "currency tokens". First issued in 1874  used as currency across Nomansland with the sanction of the Griqua Government. The first widely circulating indigenous coinage issued in S Africa and thus highly sought after and collectable.

Brass, uniface, plain edge raised rim in pearled border pierced at 12 o'clock. Inscription across the field in two lines, "S & Co", and the value, 3d, 6d, 1/- or 2/-. The dimensions are shown below. Current prices of these tokens at this link.

*Known Mintage based on stock manually counted by Balson in 1976

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Extremely rare.

Specifically struck for one of the Strachan stores, Mountain Home. Current prices of these tokens at this link. True "currency tokens". First issued in 1878 and used as currency across Nomansland with the sanction of the Griqua Government supported by the Standard Bank at Kokstad.

Brass, uniface, plain edge raised rim in pearled border pierced at 12 o'clock. Inscription across the field in three lines, "S & Co", "MH" and the value, 3d, 6d, 1/- or 2/-. The dimensions are shown below

*Saved by Balson during the counting - note Balson kept all the MH tokens found during the count.
*Known Mintage based on stock manually counted by Balson in 1976

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Rare, except for the 1/- which is the rarest of the S & Co tokens.

Trade and barter tokens, first issued in late 1800s used as currency across Nomansland and southern Natal until 1932 despite the inclusion of "In Goods".

Brass,obverse and reverse the same, plain edge, raised rim in pearled border pierced at 12 o'clock. Inscription in three straight lines, "S & Co", the value, 3d, 6d, 1/- or 2/- and "In Goods".Current prices of these tokens at this link.

*Rarest of the S&Co tokens
*Known Mintages based on stock manually counted by Balson in 1976

Detailed description of differences of the two Strachan and Co "In Goods" sets (see below) at this link

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Relatively common, most recent mint of the Strachan sets. Coins can occasionally be found in near uncirculated condition.

Barter tokens first issued post 1900 -  used as currency across Nomansland and southern Natal until 1932 despite the inclusion of "In Goods"

Brass,obverse and reverse the same, plain edge, raised rim in pearled border pierced at 12 o'clock. Inscription in three straight lines, "S & Co", the value, 3d, 6d, 1/- or 2/- and "In Goods". Current prices of these tokens at this link.

*Known Mintage based on stock manually counted by Balson in 1976

Detailed description of differences of two Strachan and Co "In Goods" sets at this link


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Oddities

S&Co mis-strikes

Clipped planchets and mis-striikes	Unholed pieces

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Known mintages of the four sets, estimates on production and coins surviving today (token coins held by Strachan and Co in Umzimkulu and counted by Balson in 1976)

No official mintages are known but careful counts were taken of each of the sixteen different tokens present in the Strachan & Co stock in 1976. If we bear in mind the relatively high purchasing power of these tokens during the period 1874 to 1932 it seems unlikely many were retained by customers as mementos. The figures are therefore believed to be an excellent indication of the actual mintages of the series. Sadly, most of the tokens counted in 1976 were scrapped by Ken Strachan a few years later. George Fuld rarity ratings shown in brackets in red against estimated surviving,

* The official rarest coin in the series - the old 1/- in goods.
* The "MH" (Mountain Home) series is the rarest set of Strachan and Co tokens - kept by Balson during the count. Total Coins Catalogued by Scott Balson in 1976: 20,098

Additional large caches of Strachan and Co tokens found:

The bottom line from the facts below is that the revised estimate of Strachan and Co token coins minted (largely the "In Goods" sets known as three and four) is between 50,000 to 100,000 pieces. Most have been scrapped or lost. They represent over £3,000 in face value - far in excess of the need of a remote trading store. A key fact which supports the evidence that these coins were bona fide currency  in Nomansland and beyond for nearly 60years.

---

First known cache

The scrapped Strachan and Co tokens being sold on the Internet:

Scott

In the days when I travelled southern Africa ( mid 70's ) and was on my way either to or from Lesotho ( NW of Mt. Frere ). I cuddled up in the bush one evening and awoke to a group of workers cutting trees, after a conversation one asked me to drive him to some hut where he whipped out a massive quantity of these tokens strung onto necklaces .

Happy collecting - Steve

For QUANTITY, WHOLESALE ONLY
Pomexport Ltd.
P. O. Box 2, Ridgefield Park, NJ - 07660
Tel: 1-201-641-6641 / Fax: 1-201-641-1700
E-Mail: Info@pomexport.com // website: http://www.NumberOneMoneyMan.com

Steve also advised that he acquired the entire stock which had all been "scrapped by holing" to prevent them being used as coinage, It is possible that this cache of Strachan and Co tokens, numbering thousands, was scrapped after they were withdrawn from circulation in 1932. Thankfully many other Strachan and Co tokens, like the coins later counted by Balson and those outlined below, which survived undamaged!

Second known cache

The new Strachan and Co cache discovered in 2003

We were reliably advised in January 2004 that more S&Co tokens numbering in their thousands, but not being part of the original stock counted by Balson, are now being sold by a policeman in southern Natal. Their average condition is graded as "F" - ie not as good as the coins counted by Balson. This could be as a result of poor storage conditions over an extended period. We know that these tokens are not part of the initial count as 10 "MH" tokens were found by well-known token coin enthusiast, Allyn Jacobs, among over 500 two shilling pieces. Balson had earlier removed all the MH pieces during his count of the tokens held at the Umzimkulu store. It is quite clear that these large numbers of tokens are part of an additional cache of S&Co tokens - quite possibly once stored at another of the Strachan and Co stores.

In his email of 28th February 2004 Allyn Jacobs reports the cache is made up as follows:

• MH : 10
• S&Co: 18
• Old In Goods: 64
• New In Goods: 416
• Total 508 two-shilling pieces.

and, Condition for the most part is pretty average, with not only the S&Co and the Mountain Home pieces showing wear, but strangely enough also, most of Sets 3 and 4. They would doubtless all benefit from a bit of a "clean-up", and I may well try a wash-and-brush-up. (The pieces counted by Balson at Umzimkulu were of a far higher average standard and were cleaned during the counting).

The sheer volume and value of the cache of Strachan and Co over and above the two shilling pieces purchased by Allyn Jacobs, when added to those counted by Balson, again reflects their purpose - not as trade store tokens but as bonafide currency as argued at this link.

From the proportional number of the (new) In Goods two shilling pieces making up the cache purchased by Allyn we can estimated the numbers of other S&Co tokens held. This estimation is based on the proportional numbers of each coin in the Balson count of over 20,000 tokens. It is clear to us that the seller is keeping most of the rarer pieces in the two shilling denomination. It is also clear that the seller might have more two shilling pieces but is not parting with them - so the cache could be far bigger than the estimated figures given below. These figures should be taken as a minimum estimation of minting and surviving:

Type	3d	*Prop % of total	Estimated numbers of 3d	6d	*Prop % of total	Estimated numbers of 6d	1/-	*Prop % of total	Estimated numbers of 1/-	2/-	*Prop % of total	Estimated numbers of 2/-	Estimated tokens by type
S&Co	-	13.6%	1,115	-	8.1%	665	-	2.3%	188		1.7%	140	2,108
MH	-	0.5%	41	-	0.4%	33	-	0.4%	33	-	0.4%	33	140
Old "In Goods"	-	4.6%	375	-	4.0%	328	-	0.3%	24	-	5.8%	475	1,202
New "In Goods"	-	21.0%	1,719	-	25.0%	2,050	-	6.8%	560	~416	5.1%	416 (actual)	4,745
Estimated tokens			3,250			3,076			805			1,064	8,195
Estimated Face Value			estimated about £50			estimated about £90			estimated over £50			estimated over £60	estimate £250

*Based on count of stock of Strachan and Co tokens once held at the Umzimkulu store (see above)
~ There were 416 "new" in goods tokens in the cache purchased by Allyn Jacobs this figure is used to estimate the total number of tokens held by the seller

Third known cache:

This letter speaks for itself:

Hello Scott,

I am a member of the Pietermaritzburg coin club, and I have known about you and your marvellous website for some time. Before I retired I was professor of computer science at the University and worked one floor below Clive Graham.

I though that you would like to know that a large number of Strachan tokens came up for auction here recently (May 2005). They were in the family of Guy Scott who I understand was an accountant in Umzimkulu and a director of Strachan & Co. I was the successful bidder. There were 302 tokens (+ 1 Larkan) in the lot, as tabulated below, plus a signed copy of “Kence” and a printed booklet entitled “Old Umzimkulu”.

You may also find interesting that a number of other items associated with the Company were also on auction: a Victorian cash register, an Ansonia “station” clock, two documents relating to the hotel, a mini-Gladstone cash bag, a match box dispenser, and so on.

My guess is that these tokens are *not a “new” find but were given by Ken Strachan to Guy Scott. In support of this is the fact that on the copy of Kence is written, “With the compliments of the Directors of Strachan & Co. Ltd, October 1978”. Also 3 type 4 sets were in presentation cases (made from old SAM boxes with the recesses reworked to accommodate the 4 tokens).

All the best,

Michael Laidlaw

*Our belief is that this is a new find as Guy Scott had a trading store in the early 1900s and all the MHs were removed by Scott Balson while counting the stock held by Strachan and Co at Umzimkulu and the wide variety in numbers of individual pieces does not reflect the manner in which coins would be gifted (eg no relatively common old in goods 6d's and five rare MH 2/-).

Total of Strachan and Co coins known to be in existence/ to have once existed when new caches outlined above are added to the original count made by Scott Balson (note actual numbers are far greater - estimates are conservative)*:

*These figures exclude the scrapped tokens found by Pomexport

The above figures are based on the known mintage of Strachan and Co trade tokens. They exclude the large cache of Strachan and Co tokens referred to by Steve of Pomexport.  Collectively these large volumes of Strachan and Co tokens represent an extraordinary face value for an isolated chain of trading stores serving a the largely African population in a large region extending from southern Natal to north of the Cape Colony.

The estimated actual face value of Strachan and Co trade tokens minted is between £3,000 to £5,000 - or about 100,000 pieces. There are no other South African trade tokens in existence that come anywhere near this massive volume.

When one considers the words of Rev W Dower when recording the state of the Griqua nation in the mid 1870s, "The church undertook to pay him 150 pounds per annum in cash. The most extraordinary part of it is that there was not that amount of coin in the country at the time."

A few years after Dower made this comment the Strachan and Co trade tokens became the circulating currency of Nomansland - fact!

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