Tokens, Tickets and Notes of the De Beers Diamond Fields – Gary Oddie

This note will present a brief history of the de Beers diamond fields in South Africa, beginning with the discovery of the first diamonds in the mid-1860s through to the consolidation of the various companies. The various mining compounds issued metal, paper and later plastic tokens, initially as part of a truck system. A fully illustrated catalogue of items known from the company is included. This provides colour illustrations to the catalogue published by Brian Hern and Allyn Jacobs in 2009, along with six previously unrecorded pieces.