South African Krugerrand

The first South African Krugerrand one ounce coins were struck in 1967 and it was an instant hit. The first run of 40,000 coins were quickly supplemented with an additional 10,000 special edition proofs targeted to collectors. Since then, over 54 million units of this of Bullion Coins have been produced at the South African mint. Although it's demand has dropped substantially over the decades compared to the now more in demand coins such as the American Gold Eagle, Gold Maple Leaf, and Gold Buffalo Coin, it's still known to be the oldest modern bullion coin produced.

Even today only the now far less popular Krugerrand can still make these claims:

The world’s most produced modern bullion coin
The world’s most recognized gold bullion brand (I.E. Movies and Marketing released in the 1970's to 1990's)
The world’s first legal tender gold bullion coin to gain worldwide use

More than any other gold investment, the South African Krugerrand was the coin that inspired global interest in private ownership of gold bullion. Until the Gold Maple Leaf was issued in 1979, the Krugerrand was the only bullion investment coin available in the world market. In 1980, while South Africa’s gold mines accounted for 75% of the Western world’s total gold output, the Krugerrand accounted for 90% of the private gold market. 1980 was also the year when the Krugerrand introduced other sizes to its offerings: the 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce, and 1/10 ounce gold coins.

Not until the introduction of the U.S. American Eagle in 1986, and with sanctions imposed on apartheid South Africa, did the Krugerrand fall from its rank as world’s top selling Gold Bullion Coin.

The Silver, Platinum, and 50-ounce Gold Flagship South African Krugerrands: In 2017, in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Krugerrand, the South African Mint introduced the Silver Krugerrand and Platinum Krugerrand:

The mintage for the silver Krugerrand was one million units plus a limited quantity of proof strikes for collectors
The Platinum mintage of 1 ounce coins at .9999% purity had only 2,017 pieces produced
A flagship offering is a limited edition 50-ounce gold coin‚ 50 times larger than the standard Krugerrand; only 55 coins were issued for purchase

The dies for the Silver Krugerrand were digitally enhanced with innovative laser-etching technology not available when the coin was originally minted in 1967. The technology allows for razor-sharp detail, highlights, and shading not seen on any Krugerrand coin previously.

Although the mint had previously released a higher-premium “K-Rand” in silver for 2017 targeted for collectors, the 2018 issue is the first coin available at a low bullion premium. This is the first year the coin has been offered as a Brilliant Uncirculated Silver coin. Created from the original gold Krugerrand design, the coin was struck in one full ounce of .999 fine silver. The South African Mint created the 1 ounce silver bullion coin as an opportunity for investors to enjoy an affordable investment vehicle also tied to the great Krugerrand legacy.

More features of South African Krugerrand Coins:

The 22 karat Gold Krugerrand is minted in a copper-gold alloy that is more durable than pure gold; the mix of 91.67% gold bullion with the copper alloy gives the South African Krugerrand its unique orange-gold color tone
In 2018 the South African Mint released the business strike version of the coin in higher mintages
Since its introduction in 1967, Krugerrands have been struck every year with occasional slight variations in diameter and thickness
In the minting process for the Silver Krugerrand, each coin is hand positioned and pressed several times at a lower weight, allowing for an immaculate transfer of detail and ensuring a spectacular gloss for every coin struck
For its 2017 mintage, for the first and only time a Krugerrand was issued in silver proof and bore a special 50th anniversary mint-mark
The total value of Krugerrands produced to date is well over $70 billion at today’s values

To learn more about the South African Krugerrand and to see how it could fit into your investment portfolio, please contact us and an experienced Mint State Gold representative will be happy to see how we can assist you. Our mission at Mint State Gold is to provide our clients with the best possible information and to strive to offer the best opportunities for adding to your precious metal holdings.

South African Krugerrand Coin Specifications

Metal(s) Produced	Gold	Gold	Gold	Gold	Silver
Purity	22 Karat	22 Karat	22 Karat	22 Karat	99.9%
Year(s) Minted	1967 to Present	1980 to Present	1980 to Present	1980 to Present	2017 to Present
Where Minted	South African Mint	South African Mint	South African Mint	South African Mint	South African Mint
Composition	1oz Gold and 0.09oz Copper	0.5oz Gold and 0.045oz Copper	0.25oz Gold and 0.02oz Copper	0.01oz Gold and 0.009oz Copper	1oz Silver
Total Weight	1.09 troy oz	0.55 troy oz	0.27 troy oz	0.109 troy oz	1 troy oz
Denomination	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Thickness	2.84 mm	2.2 mm	1.9 mm	1.35 mm	2.84 mm
Diameter	32.8 mm	27 mm	22 mm	16.6 mm	38.7 mm
Strike Type(s)	Business/ Proof	Business/ Proof	Business/ Proof	Business/ Proof	Business/ Proof