South Africa Marks Queen’s 90th with Krugerrand

The world’s most famous gold coin, the Krugerrand, is commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday with a special limited edition.This is also the first time the South African Mint is celebrating a royal birthday.

The Queen’s birthday is on Thursday, 21 April (although her birthday is usually officially celebrated in June).

The London Mint office said this special edition Krugerrand will have an “extremely low mintage of only 260 coins worldwide” and “features a unique ‘QEII 90’ Mint Mark that will only appear on this special issue of gold Krugerrands.

“This means that this coin will become a ‘one year only’ type, never to be released again.”

It features the bust of Paul Kruger by Otto Schultz on the obverse, and springbok antelope by Coert Steynberg, also highlighting the unique “QEII 90th” Mint Mark, on the reverse.

The South African Mint says the Kruggerrand evokes nostalgia because it has a classic design which “kindles memories of a bygone era and symbolises the romance and allure of gold”.

According to the South African Mint website the Krugerrand was originally created for the commemorative 5-shilling coin, issued in 1947, to celebrate the visit of the British Royal Family to South Africa.

Launched in 1967, it contains one troy ounce of pure gold. By the 1980s, fractional Krugerrands were made available – the 1/2oz, 1/4oz and 1/10oz.

The design dates back to 1892 when the country’s first coin series was circulated. It features a bust of the then president of the South African Republic, Paul Kruger, created by die-engraver Schultz.

“The reverse design of the prancing springbok, South Africa’s national animal, was modelled by Coert Steynberg,” reads the South African Mint website.

The name Krugerrand comes from Kruger and South Africa’s monetary unit, the rand – associated with the Witwatersrand, “the ridge of white water”, the area where gold was discovered in 1886.

Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 90th birthday on 21 April. The limited edition 1oz Krugerrand is selling at R59,000 at South Africa’s Scoin Shop.

Watch Video: 90 photos for 90 years, Queen Elizabeth

Source:SouthAfrica.Info